Hi, I am in the process of planning a self build house. The plot location requires about a 200m access road to be constructed over an old railway line. The line hasn't been used for over 40 years and has no sleepers or any other fixtures on it.
In an effort to keep costs down I hope to undertake most of the work myself with the help of family and plant machinery they own. So you will understand my delight at coming across your website!
My question (which will probably be the first of many!) is what are the practical implications of trying to construct, say a 5m wide, road on the bed of such a railway line e.g. would we require to excavate remaining compacted ballast or could we use this as the base course to build the road on? I have estimated an initial budget of £25k for materials only.
Any suggestions on constructing such a road to a reasonable standard would be greatly appreciated.
Road construction - Constructing a road on old railway line.
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Tony McC
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Without seeing what you have, it's difficult to comment, but it's quite likely that you'll be able to utilise the rail line bed as a suitable foundation for your access road. You'll need to get rid of any vegetation, and it's usually a good idea to get rid of the top 50mm or so, as that has usually been compromised with detritus and other crap over the years.
Once you've skimmed off that top layer, you can re-grade what's left, put a roller or heavy-duty plate compactor over it, and use it either as a foundation, or possibly a sub-base for the eventual surfacing.
However, it may be best to leave any such work until the building work is close to completion. If the existing rail bed is traffickable, it makes more sense to leave it as it is and use it as a 'temporary' access while you get the house up.
Once you've skimmed off that top layer, you can re-grade what's left, put a roller or heavy-duty plate compactor over it, and use it either as a foundation, or possibly a sub-base for the eventual surfacing.
However, it may be best to leave any such work until the building work is close to completion. If the existing rail bed is traffickable, it makes more sense to leave it as it is and use it as a 'temporary' access while you get the house up.
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