Gravel Roads

G R A V E L R O A D M A I N T E N A N C E

El Paso County has more than 2,100 centerline miles of roads, half of which are gravel roads. Gravel roads are unpaved roads made of small rock, gravel, or other aggregate road surfacing material.

The El Paso County Department of Public Works is responsible for the routine maintenance of 1,049 centerline miles of gravel roads.

The El Paso County Department of Public Works is busy throughout the spring, summer, and fall with the maintenance and repairs of gravel roads, including grading, dust abatement, and graveling. Most gravel roads are maintained on a 6 –8 week schedule. The Department of Public Works is currently working on creating a Frequency of Service schedule that will allow our citizens to see real-time data on when we last serviced their roadway and when they might expect the next service to occur. Our goal is to provide our citizens insight into the frequency of service for roadways of interest to them.

G R A V E L R O A D S A R E U N P A V E D R O A D S M A D E U P O F S M A L L R O C K , G R A V E L , O R O T H E R A G G R E G A T E R O A D S U R F A C I N G M A T E R I A L

GRAVELING

Over time, weather and vehicle traffic deteriorate the surface of gravel roads. Therefore, graveling is performed to rebuild the riding surface of the gravel road. El Paso County road crews regravel anywhere from 7 to 15 centerline miles of gravel roads each year. Most El Paso County gravel roads have an established center crown or slope with 28 feet of total width, 24-foot road width, and 2-foot shoulders. Crews prepare subgrade, clean, and reshape ditches and cross/driveway culverts as needed. They will also add or replace damaged culverts as required. Crews then haul fresh gravel to spread across the roadway to create a stable gravel surface. DPW utilizes in-house and contract trucks to haul materials to the roadway maintenance sites.

Benefits of Graveling

Enhance driving experience

Improve roadway maintainability

Increase the safety of the road

Re-establish a “crown” or cross slope to the roadway Address drainage/ditch issues Remove washboards and potholes Improve overall condition of the road Enhance driving experience Increase the safety of the road

GRADING

The Department of Public Works grades most El Paso County gravel roads four to six times a year, prioritizing those heavily traveled. Crews use a grader, also called a blade, to smooth out the roadway. Moving around 4 mph, the graders go back and forth multiple times to smooth out the surface of 1,000 miles of roads, tallying up more than 17,000 miles traveled and 35,000 hours of work in a year.

Benefits of Grading:

The dust abatement process reduces dust on gravel roads. The operation uses a reclaimer machine, multiple graders, large water distribution trucks, and rubber tires and drum rollers. Moving no more than 8 mph, the reclaimer works like a giant tiller. On El Paso County roads, we dig up to 3 inches of gravel and mix it with a special water and magnesium chloride solution. The reason for using magnesium chloride is that it is very effective for controlling moisture. It helps create a stable road base and keeps the dust down by taking in moisture from the air and surrounding environment and retaining it for a long time. Once the mixture is deposited onto the road, a fleet of rollers follow to compact and shape the road surface. Graders are then used to smooth out the road.

El Paso County applies dust abatement product to approximately 100 centerline miles of gravel roads a year. It takes approximately 6,000 gallons of dust abatement product and approximately 75,000 gallons of water to prep and apply the dust abatement for one mile of gravel road. The cost of dust abatement product to complete 100 centerline miles we do a year is approximately $500,000.

Benefits of Dust Abatement

Minimize the amount of routine maintenance required

Improve sight distance with dust reduction

Enhance driving experience

Increase safety on the road

Reduce dust particulates in the air

Please visit the El Paso County Department of Public Works Construction and Maintenance Projects page for more information on maintenance and repairs in your area: https://publicworks.elpasoco.com/roadbridge/construction-maintenance-projects/.

The construction and maintenance projects schedule is subject to change due to weather or resource availability.