Driveways
Driveways on Sidney Island are built with gravel dug from the pit on the island. The strata’s backhoe is not suited to the heavy digging required to get the gravel out, so an excavator is required.
In the pit, trees are pushed over and put aside and the topsoil scraped off the gravel surface and piled out of the way. Large rocks are separated from the gravel with the excavator and the gravel loaded into the strata’s dump truck.
The gravel is dumped in small piles along the length of the driveway and parking area. We spread and level the gravel with the excavator and then groom it with an ATV towed rake. With lots of raking the larger gravel is directed to the sides and the roadway has just the smaller more uniform gravel which creates a nice smooth surface.
If culverts are necessary at the junction of the driveway to the road, they can be purchaced in 20’ lengths. Twenty feet may seem wide enough for a driveway entrance, but a 30’ to 40’ width allows a more comfortable and safer turning radius for vehicles. Large rocks and/or large timbers, with or without landscaping soil piled behind, can be set up by the road to define the driveway entrance. Wood chips spread thickly over the soil can insulate the soil from the sun, inhibit weed growth and give a “dressed up” look.