Road repair MUD

[sprucebunny]

Wasn't sure I was going to get my backhoe out.

Anyone got ideas on how to cross 2-3 foot deep mud with a 17,000 pound machine?

Jerks in Jeeps got on my land last year in spring and caused a huge washout on a hill. Just above that there is a woods road that has become lower in the center from use and clay built up at the edge so the water seeps don't drain out. I'd like to dig a channel so the water gets out and things dry some but the "road" is too wide to reach across and too soft to drive on. If I don't do something Spring runoff will continue to erode the hill. Lost about 40 yards of dirt this past Spring.
I have about 6 yds of head size or bigger rocks and alot of clayey fill . B ut I don't think that is enough to support the hoe.
Don't really want to cut as many trees as it would take for cordouroy-not sure that would support the hoe either.
Too rough for a real dump truck to bring fill and too much $$
Thought of trying to dig out the soft stuff till I hit something harder but don't know if that's possible or just makin a worse mess.
Really want to hear your ideas.

[pappy]

Up this way they're building roads with excavators.  They take the material from the ditches and pile it up in front of the machine. You might get away buy building it up a little at a time, let it dry then do another section. Make your drainage at the same time. Later after the road sets up you can finish off with a small dozer.

hope this helps,
pappy

[Jim_Rogers]

The first thing to do to dry up a muddy road bed is to get the water to shed off of it.
Then it will start to dry out, and firm up.
Next you should add the biggest rocks you can to the mud hole, but make sure they are below finish grade. You don't want to run into any sharp edges with rubber tired machines. The top off with some gravel if possible.
Clay will only make the surface slippery and I feel shouldn't really be used in road beds.
Jim Rogers

[Quartlow]

Reach across as far as you can and trench it so it can drain.

Lime wil break up that clay so the water can go down to. Dump it on heany and leave it alone for a while

[SwampDonkey]

I agree with building your road with an escavator like termite suggests and also using courser material on the road surface as Jim says. In spring time I've seen clay roads jiggle like jelly even if ya walk on them.  The days of building roads with dozers are over up this way. Cause what always happens is the road becomes the ditch filled with water that doesn't drain. Big side berms were always pushed to the sides and your road just had no drainage. Typically these were winter roads. Cross drainage should follow natural drainage patterns and will cause less greif. Ditches should be made on each side of the road. On steep hills use waterbars by making angled indentations in the road surface to divert the water to the ditches. Also, on long hills ditch the road off to the right at a sharp turning angle to slow the water flow in the ditch. Call it a run off I guess. Run-offs and water bars may be placed every 100 feet on steep sections.

[sprucebunny]

Thanks for the replies.
I know that the water needs to get out of this road that was probably built with a bulldozer. The problem is that the only approach I have is from uphill at a junction and I can't reach the side (downhill) that needs digging out.
Tomorrow I'm going to look for a route thru the woods to access the lower side. Am also going to look for a price on crusher tailings like Jim Rogers mentioned. Really hate throwing $1000 out on the ground, though. But I love wandering around in the woods and making trails ;D
I'd planned on probably throwing $1000 in rocks and fill (and trucking) down the washed out hill and building the waterbars like you drew, SwampDonkey.
Just thought you guys might come up with something novel.
Anyone know anything about "geo-textiles" used as barriers and stabilizers in road construction? Maybe a person can spread out a twelve foot wide fabric and pile dirt on top and be able to drive on it?

[Tillaway]

Water bars, rolling dips, culvert cross drain, etc. you have to divert the water before it gets there (preferred) and soaks into the subgrade.  If thats not possible then geo-textiles placed over pit-run (12")  with good sized lift (8") of crushed for a running surface on top the textile will firm it up.  You will also want to add some way to drain this area, pipe, "burrito" or some other inovative way to help keep this area draining.

A picture or two would help greatly.

[Bruce_A]

Road felt, 12" pit run, road felt, 6" of 3" minus, 3" of top rock, all preferably shot rock.  Just don't drive off the edge.

[Murf]

Some of the old timers around my cottage advocate spreading a couple of inches of sawdust on top of the muck.

Apparently the sawdust will draw the water up into it, then the sun & breeze will suck the water out of the sawdust.

Once it is dry enough to get on it then start smoothing & leveling it and put on more sawdust till it's as dry as you want it.

Best of luck.