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After the road repairs are complete its time for the most important of the big three, crowning the road. Crowning is simply creating a highpoint that runs lengthwise along the center of a road or driveway. This crown is the primary way water drains off the road. Crowns on gravel roads needs to be steeper than paved roads. The accepted rule of thumb is that the crown at the center of the road needs to be ½” to ¾” higher than the shoulders for each foot of lane width. Simply put, a ten-foot-wide driveway should have a crown in the center that is between 2.5” and 3.75” inches higher than the shoulders. It is not unusual for a poorly maintained crown to cause practically every other problem on a gravel road. There are several types of crowns that should be used depending upon the terrain. Here are a few illustrations that show the most common types of crowns and how they shed water.
