Road maintenance problem and solutions!

The recent routine maintenance, topping replacement and grading of the Bickleigh Vale Road northern end turning circle and Edna Walling Lane presented some specific problems of concern to residents who met to agee what will be done to address those problems. We then met on-site with Ian Pearson from the Shire to agree on the following resolution plan:
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1. General Discussion and Advice from Ian

• He advised he’d visited the road during heavy rain last Monday and found that, for the most part, the drainage works implemented 4 years ago and the recent topping and grading maintenance was working well.
  • He agreed that the two areas which were the subject of the meeting were inadequate
    • He also noted that both problem areas should be able to be resolved and would take on that task
• He noted that the regular work done each quarter by residents to keep the culverts unblocked and the potholes filled between Council maintenance runs significantly contributed to the high standard of the road compared to other similar roads in Yarra Ranges.
• The regular maintenance schedule is as follows:
  • Bickleigh Vale Rd is graded in March, July and December subject to suitable weather and site conditions.
    • They do stretch it out a bit from July until early December so that they can apply the Dust Suppressant in early December as part of the road grading.
    • They start the Dust Suppressant Program in December and Bickleigh Vale is one of the roads that is treated early. For example it was done on the 2 December last year.
• The toppings supplier has recently advised that they have managed to secure one more load of Lilydale toppings for us so the next maintenance event will be with Lilydale toppings again and, like John Farnham’s farewell tour(s) it will be the last one (again!)

• There was some discussion about the replacement Coldstream toppings.
  • It is considerably more tan coloured than Lilydale toppings with very little blue in it
    • This will have an impact on us using it for filling pot-holes and other patch-ups – especially during the first year or so until there is a reasonable depth of the new colour building on top
  • Coldstream quarries are working on the blend of rock used to improve its ability to bind like Lilydale topping does. They recognize the enormous economic benefit of creating a material that is an effective replacement for Lilydale toppings. As a result, its possible our road surface will become more like it is now in future maintenance cycles.

2. Bickleigh Vale Road Turning Circle

Resident's Concerns:​

• When toppings are replaced, very little of this area receives any toppings
  • The last time is was properly covered with toppings and graded was when the new concrete drain pipes were installed about 4 years ago
• the base under the toppings may not be sufficiently hard and strong to withstand the weekly garbage trucks and other traffic turning in this area
• as a result of both of the above, in wet weather, mud puddles and washaways quickly form – especially next to the Littlewood and Windsong driveways

(click to enlarge)

• it was proposed by the residents that a hard rocky material base be laid in the Bickleigh Vale Road turning circle and then toppings placed on top to a depth that enables grading towards the creek on the north-easterly side of the road and the drain on the south-easterly side of the road

Ian’s assessment:

• The base under the toppings is hard enough to hold the toppings in good condition and doesn’t need replacing
• The problems are caused by:
• insufficient depth of topping being laid each time
• insufficient grading work by the contractor – probably due to a combination of insufficient material and the tight space for maneuvering their large machinery

Ian’s proposed action:

• Before the next maintenance activity (early December), Ian will meet the contractor on-site to review the problems and have the following built into their work plans:
• The entire turning circle area, right up to the beginning of the bridge to 25 BV Rd (Windsong) and the bridge to 27 BV Rd 9 (Littlewood) are to be covered in topping at every one of the maintenance activities
• The depth of topping laid at each maintenance activity is to be such that it can be graded to slope towards the creek on one side and the culvert on the other such that rainwater runs off and doesn’t pool on the surface.
• This may require using smaller machinery
• The toppings are to be graded each time as above.
• This may require using smaller machinery

Ian’s Bickleigh Vale Rd turning circle proposals were agreed to by the residents

3. Edna Walling Lane

​Residents’ concerns:

• When toppings are replaced, they are only replaced for a small part of Edna Walling Lane from Bickleigh Vale Road to the end of the triangle.
• When toppings are replaced, the Lane is not graded beyond the triangle
• The recent grading has created a trench for water to gather and mud to form across the intersection of Edna Walling Lane and Bickleigh Vale Road
  • This appears to be a result of laying insufficient toppings so that when the grading was done correctly such that the fall is to the outside of the bend, the low side was too low – hence forming a trench.
  • Residents would also like to have a small stockpile of around 2 cub metres of topping left on site in the little used branch of EW Lane by the triangle for use by residents for low-level road maintenance between the council scheduled work

(click to enlarge)

Ian’s assessment:

• Topping material should be added to all of Edna Walling Lane from the Bickleigh Vale Rd junction to the start of the divided section to 9 EW Lane (Devon Cottage) and 3-5 EW Lane (The Barn)
• He suspects the reason why this is not being done is due to the size of the truck and grader that the contactor is using and the contractor’s sensitivity to avoiding overhead damage to the Bickleigh Vale trees
• The problem of a trench being created at the junction of EW Lane and BV Rd at the recent maintenance activity was the result of incorrect work by the contractor:
• Too much material was put in one place and insufficient in another with the resulting grading work compounding the problem

Ian’s proposed action:

• Before the next maintenance activity (early December), Ian will meet the contractor on-site to review the problems and have the following built into their work plans:
• Topping material is to be added to all of Edna Walling Lane from the Bickleigh Vale Rd junction to the start of the divided section to 9 EW Lane (Devon Cottage) and 3-5 EW Lane (The Barn)
• This will require the contractor to use the smaller machinery that he has available
• The junction of EW Lane an BV Road must be topped and graded such that there is no trench across the road intersection
• Ian will also re-iterate the need to ensure that the inside of the Bickleigh Vale Road right-angle bend must always be graded higher than the rest so that all the rainwater runs off to the outside of the bend.
  • Ian has agreed to have the contractor, at each maintenance activity, leave a small stockpile of around 2 cub metres of topping left on site in the little used branch of EW Lane by the triangle for use by residents for low-level road maintenance between the council scheduled work
• This may not be able to be done during the next event due to the limited availability of the last load of Lilydale toppings but it will be from then on.

Ian’s Edna Walling Lane proposals were agreed to by the residents
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