Drainage
Whether it is concrete, asphalt or gravel, when a road fails, inadequate drainage is often the cause. Shoulders and embankments damaged by heavy rain or floods can allow water to stand on the road or seep back into the base, saturating it. Surface cracks allow water to penetrate and weaken the base. Poor design can direct water back onto the road or keep it from draining away. Too much water remaining in the surface, base and sub grade combine with traffic action to cause potholes, cracks, and pavement failure. A proper drainage system has four major elements- roadway, shoulders, ditches, and culverts. Which the BCRC designs builds and maintains.
Roadway
To reduce the amount of water penetrating the roadway the BCRC and the 16 Townships, crack and seal approximately 70 miles of road a year.
Shoulders
When the shoulders of a road are to high water cannot get off the road and into the ditch. In order to keep water from setting on the roadway the BCRC pulls high shoulders off the edge of the road. On gravel roads the shoulder is pulled into the road and mixed with existing gravel and laid back out.
Ditches
Without proper ditches all the water would set on the side of the road and seep into the sub grade. The BCRC is responsible for 2,140 miles of ditches and does not allow any ditch to be filled in. If you have a ditch in your yard please try to keep it clear and open. Our drainage crew works throughout the summer trying to keep our ditches open and draining properly.
Culverts
Culverts are used to run water from one side of the road to the other, or thru the ditch under a driveway. Some culverts are used as equalizers. Culverts are to be as free from debris and dirt as possible, with the ends also free of debris and dirt. If you have a culvert please try to keep the ends clean so it may flow as smooth as possible. The BCRC does approximately 80 to 100 drainage projects each year.
Please see the F.A.Q. for more on ditches and shoulders.
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