FILLING DIRT ROADS

The road could be around 1 mile, but I only said I'd take on the bit near me. The first 50 or 60 yards away from the highway spine of the village that we live on. The material for fill is a work in progress. Of the three holes thus far filled, the first used cardboard stuff to soak into and partly fill the puddle left there by the rain. Then I topped it up with dirt from the side of the road. The other two were dry and relied increasingly heavily on cardboard fill. Thence needing mostly to overlay with sufficient dirt to disallow the cardboard to pop up and cause mischief. I've had to go back these past two days just to check, and cover up cardboard edges trying to break through. Also, when I dig out the dirt shoulders for fill, I try to do so in a way as to inhibit rain running off the higher elevation into the road. The hope is to have more water percolate into the shoulder area, producing more vegetation. But dirt for fill is the scarce element (unlike free cardboard!). I'll have to start mining our yard and the adjoining "arroyo" (or natural drainage system) adjoining the road. The latter is a PITA for this old fellow though. So, all in all, unless some of the better heeled folks around here chalk up the bucks for the back hoe guy to deliver more dirt, this first 50-60 yard might be my limit. Let's hope my start will galvanize one or more people to help. 

Mushifying cardboard or paper would be best, but timing is critical. Filling in with dirt doesn't last long, and fails in any heavy rain. I don't see that cardboard is any less durable than this. The best application of cardboard is insertion into a deep puddle, and protect that soggy stuff with stones and dirt. Compaction by car wheels probably congeal the soggy and the dirt.