Sergeants and Newbies

By Charlie Houston

This is not about military sergeants, but about a mentality that’s ascribed to many of that rank. It’s also about homeowners who’re relatively new to western Loudoun and a few old-timers who share a too-common attitude.

My topic is our network of unpaved roads and the unloved VDOT.  

VDOT’s Duties

Virginia Code defines VDOT’s mission:

• To maintain and operate the system of state highways 
• To develop (new) highways 
• To ensure the safety of the traveling public

But as they say, there are many a slip between cup and lip. Who defines “maintenance?” (Certainly not citizens.) Or, “… ensure the safety?” 

VDOT reports to the powerful Commonwealth Transportation Board, which provides funding, selects highway projects, and sets policy. There are nine VDOT districts in the state, divided into “residencies.” Loudoun is one.

Do VDOT’s policies help our historic unpaved roads? If they are, do local VDOT residencies follow those policies?   

An Army Analogy

Organizations love hierarchy. The Army’s headed by a four-star General. Next come lower generals, then colonels, lieutenant colonels and lesser officers. The enlisted ranks are lower, descending from Sergeant Major down to privates.

VDOT’s similar. The Governor at the top, then the Secretary of Transportation, followed by the Commissioner of VDOT, then district and residency managers, and finally to the guy operating a grader.

In maintaining roads, the grader operator likely uses his machine as he always has, even if he had been told to do something different. Consider how many people are above the grader operator, each of whom can give directions. At each step, information can get distorted or minimized before it ultimately reaches the grader operator … who may be immune to any change.

There seems to be very little quality control and the grader guy can blithely keep doing his same old thing.

Resources for VDOT

VDOT’s Research Council is about to release its two-year-long study of unpaved roads. Hopefully it’s helpful. VDOT can also use many technical papers on unpaved roads, from Penn State, USDA, the Federal Highway Administration and others.

Does VDOT utilize these resources? The conditions of many unpaved roads shout, “No!” 

Unpaved Roads and VDOT

A yellow motor grader shows up periodically. Its operator is given an area to work, such as Route 698 from Limestone Creek north to Route 703. He’ll run his machine up and down that section of road, smoothing out washboarding and potholes. If they’re extensive, perhaps after a major storm, a few dumptruck loads of gravel will be dumped for the grader to spread around.

That treatment might be effective for a month, oftentimes just for a few weeks. Then it’s back to disrepair and the process repeats. 

In dry conditions, gravel roads produce dust as the gravel can quickly crumble into particles. VDOT might then spray calcium chloride—but only in front of houses. 

On unpaved roads where houses are further apart, today’s dust treatment is spotty and pointless. Instead, treat the entire road! That’s sergeant mentality—avoid change and keep doing things the same old way.   

VDOT Once Got Things Right, Then Almost Ruined It

Using material from the Research Council and Penn State, four years ago VDOT did a test section of Route 698 south of Limestone Creek. It spread its regular 21A aggregate (gravel) along with a binder, and then used a big roller to compact everything. 

Workers created a “crown” in the center of the road to improve drainage. The results were excellent: a smooth, dust-free and lasting surface.  

The regular grader operator soon arrived. Oops! Nobody told him to avoid the test section’s crown, so he just shaved it flat. While he literally erased part of the test, that section of road still outperforms other road sections.  

Why isn’t this technique VDOT’s standard practice?

Complainers

VDOT and county Supervisors hear a lot of complaints. Sometimes Supervisors take matters up with VDOT. Often the complainer is a self-important guy with a sense of entitlement. 

Recently, a lout living in a bland subdivision off Old Wheatland Road so tormented Supervisors and VDOT that they gave in and paved a section of that road. 

No one in authority considered that speeds would increase dramatically, or that the road had at least five blind hills. Something bad is bound to happen there.

Something bad has already happened near us. Hurley Lane is a short road. 

Toward Clarkes Gap Road it’s paved, though the asphalt surface was badly deteriorated. The section of Hurley towards Old Waterford Road is unpaved. 

VDOT put new, smooth asphalt atop the existing, crumbling paved surface. Late one night, a kid turned onto Hurley’s unpaved section, where you cannot go fast, but when he soon reached the new, smooth asphalt, he gunned the car. Now speeding, he hit a tree head-on. The car caught fire and exploded. The kid was killed.

Unpaved roads are safer because of their lower speeds.

Dust

Nobody likes dust, but I consider my dusty car as a proclamation that we live on a country road. Some folks worry that major highway projects (Routes 15 and 9) will cause cut-through traffic on the unpaved roads, making things worse. I urge patience until those projects are complete.

Realtors and the Truth

When I bought our place, I asked the realtor, “Is this a Waterford address?” She replied, “Yes.” Well, it wasn’t. Our zip code is Paeonian Springs. I like that very much.

You may live in a new subdivision off an unpaved road and had a similar Q&A with your realtor: “Is that road going to be paved?” and heard the realtor reply, “Yes.” 

Actually, your realtor had no idea; that road remains unpaved. Now your Escalade is dusty and you’re angry. You call, complain. After all, you’re entitled.  

The problem is your false expectations. The world does not revolve around the finish of your SUV.  

Charlie Houston and his wife live near Waterford on a small, historic farm. They value their unpaved road for its history and its calm ambience.