Spur Ranch Road - Evening Update 04_03_2012

Dear Neighbor,

As of 8:00 p.m., there is a light snow falling, but SRR is passable (but slippery) for westbound traffic. Eastbound traffic is more problematic, mostly because the road is uphill part of the way. Nevertheless, many 2WD cars have gone both directions along the road throughout the day. My advice is to stay off the road if at all possible during the dark hours. By morning, the road condition will have improved, provided we don’t get much more rain tonight. Incidentally, we have received 0.65 in of rain (or melted snow) in the past 24 hours.

The SRRA Board met for an hour with Bob Sherwin this evening. Mr. Sherwin reported that he has now discussed our situation with a senior technical and engineering advisor who is an expert on the RoadPacker process. Although the details of a solution are still being worked out, the recommended approach now is to mix an aggregate material (e.g., basecourse, gravel, etc.) with the top several inches of the slurry that has formed on the road. The aggregate will provide both strength and traction to the road surface, analogous to the way that gravel and sand provide strength in concrete. With luck this treatment may turn out to be a permanent solution.

Tomorrow morning at about 7:00 a.m., a road crew will begin implementing this procedure, which will take most of the day to complete (if all goes according to schedule). Volunteers will be stationed through the morning hours at Rte. 285 and the RR tracks to advise drivers of the road condition.

By late this afternoon, Avenida de las Compadres had deteriorated significantly and was in worse condition than Spur Ranch Road. We’ll check that road out in the morning to see if it has dried out enough to sustain traffic, but until you hear otherwise it is best avoided.

I’m really sorry for all the inconvenience this entire experience has caused our community. There have been a number of missteps and proposed solutions that haven’t worked, and none of us could be blamed for losing patience.  On the positive side, however, the distributor seems determined to see this experiment through to a successful conclusion, and for that, at least, we should all be appreciative.

Regards,

Jim