Agenda - 02-01-1993 - VIII-C - Laserfiche WebLink

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8 than pavement. Private roads are maintained by the homeowners which use the road, rather than by the NC Department of Transportation. Construction Cost Private roads are considerably less expensive to construct. As a rule of thumb, it costs about $50 per linear foot to construct a subdivision road to public standards, and $15 per linear for construction to private standards. The cost for half-width of construction for a 130 ' length of road (the minimum lot with required in the Subdivision Regulations) is thus $3250 for a public road, and $975 for a private road. Thus, one could expect that a lots with 130 ' of road frontage in a public road subdivision would cost at least $2275 more than a comparable lot in a private road subdivision, all other factors being equal. Assuming a lot depth of roughly two times lot width, a two-acre lot would have about 200 feet of road frontage. This translates to $5000 for public road construction compared to $1500 for private road construction, a difference of $3500. Maintenance Cost There are no private maintenance costs associated with roads once they are taken over by NCDOT. It is the public responsibility of the developer to maintain roads dedicated to the public until there are enough occupied residences to meet standards for acceptance into the State secondary road system. When density standards are met, the property owners may petition NCDOT to assume maintenance responsibility. State maintenance does not begin until NCDOT agrees to accept that responsibility. Private roads, on the other hand, must be maintained by the homeowners. The ongoing maintenance cost to the homeowner is one of the disadvantages of a private road when compared to a public road. The cost of maintenance varies greatly, depending on a number of factors. Factors which can influence long-term maintenance costs include the overall length and amount of use, the quality of initial construction, and condition of the underlying soil at the time of construction. Also important is the steepness of the road. The rate of deterioration, and the cost and difficulty of maintenance increases where the grade is steep for a long distance. Run-off erodes the ditches more quickly and creates gullies and the "washboard" effect on the road itself. The grade by NCDOT to be relatively steep at grades of9% l or more. The cost of maintaining a private road during any given be considerable less than the initial construction cost.year will According to a local grading contractor, gravel roads should be bladed at least once per year, at an estimated cost of about $500 per mile. Two inches of fresh gravel is generally recommended at 5-year intervals, at a cost of about $14, 000 per mile. In the