Crews begin building a new one-mile stretch of highway to eliminate a dangerous curve in the existing roadway.
Crews installed a a new culvert to help with drainage near the new road. This 7-foot high, 140-foot long culvert was filled with three feet of gravel to mimick a streambed for visiting fish.
Using compacting equipment, workers pounded in hundreds of 30-foot-deep columns, a process known as "soil densification." They filled each column with crushed rock to build a solid foundation for footings that will support a new bridge over Harvey Creek and Harvey Creek Road. Crews completed this work in September and will work on the bridge during the winter.
As the water table rises in the winter, water from the highway flows downhill into the gully where the new roadway will be located. Without a proper conduit, the run-off could make the slope unstable.
To keep the slope stable during wet weather, crews are building the new road with a base layer that will serve as a conduit for the run-off. This first layer consists of three inch quarry rocks wrapped in geotechnical fabric. The fabric will allow water to flow through the rocks as it travels down the gully but will keep out mud and dirt to prevent clogging.
After completing the base layer, crews will build up the road bed until it is level with the top of the slope. In some places, the road will rise as much as 30 feet. After crews open the new road next fall, travelers will have a safer, straighter drive with improved visibility.