Maple Creek Drive

Developing the new road to our land has been a challenge both legally and structurally.


THE NEW COUNTY ROAD
We filed our request for new road name shortly after closing to officially request and register county platting. Only with this completed can we have an address for the property. Only after an address is assigned can we arrange for utilities.

We hope to be able to run the utilities underground to the property, but this may not be feasible.

County Plat BEFORE Construction

ROAD CONSTRUCTION
The site for the road had been used in the past by the adjacent property owners through their land. As such, some gravel base existed along with a basic line. However, it was in disrepair with deep ruts and overgrown by tree limbs in several areas.

View from the main road at the gate -- BEFORE

Same view from gate -- DURING -- after clearing with box blade

View from the mid section -- BEFORE

Same view -- DURING -- after clearing with box blade and pushing brush pile

View from pasture looking towards the main road -- BEFORE

CROSSING MAPLE CREEK
During the road naming with the county we had to supply three possible names and they chose Maple Creek Drive as the name. The creek, which was heretofore not named, is now named -- Maple Creek.

The creek itself is a barrier -- a barrier that must be crossed. How to cross it has been a big question. I have worked through several possible designs and have run them by a friend who is in the road and bridge construction industry. We've made calculations (estimations) about the potential water flow during flash flood events and must use these considerations when designing the crossing.

Maple Creek -- looking east from near the crossing point

I was able to make contact with a local supplier of precast concrete culvert materials. They did have some overstock material for an excellent price so I have arranged to have 48" round pipe available for the crossing point. Each section of pipe is 10 feet long, so I have secured eight of them, which when two are placed lengthwise, I will have 4 individual runs of 20 ft long pipe.

Maple Creek at the bridge site where pipes will be placed

Placing these pipes poses a challenge. Topdressing them with suitable road bed material is also a challenge so that not only we can drive over the creek, but also construction equipment which should include 80,000 lb trucks or filled concrete trucks with 18,000 lbs per axle.

I found TG, a young guy with a local excavator service, through a customer of mine who himself is in the home building business. He uses TG for all of his excavation or earth moving business. Word-of-mouth is usually the best business qualification, as long as it is dependable, and so far, I have been very impressed with TG.