Sitting in a line of stalled traffic on a hot summer day waiting for the flagman to wave you on, or bouncing over a dusty washboard that was a smooth street yesterday, is no one's idea of fun. Most of us have driven over thousands of miles of paved roads without giving it a thought, until the irritating nuisance of road construction raises its ugly head. But do we know, or even think about, why it is necessary or what lies behind this momentary delay? Most people do not have the opportunity to be on the job and see firsthand the skill and labor which goes into each paving job. So, within these pages, we will show you the steps of the road construction process. And, hopefully, answer some of those questions.

IT ALL STARTS HERE

Looks like just a patch of uncleared wasteland, right? Well, not to the eye of a mining prospector. Without the treasure hidden here, the roads of tomorrow would be an impossible dream. Watching for potential gravel deposits is a constant preoccupation for paving companies, as this non-renewable resource is the very foundation upon which all roads and streets are built. When a gravel pit is mined out, there must be another to take its place or construction comes to a halt.

THEN...

The first step in the resource development process is to identify a site that appears to have a sand and gravel deposit, together with a landowner willing to develop the resource. Identification of potential sites is largely based on the experience gained from previous work done in the area. Once sub-surface exploration is done using excavators and/or drilling equipment, negotiation begins with the landowner to obtain the rights to mine the site.

A major part of the negotiation process is to achieve a balance between the landowner's long-term goals for the site and the paving company's need to develop the resource. Before a Royalty Agreement is executed, efforts must be undertaken that include title searches, locating available mapping, and meetings with public officials to determine what effect zoning, road access, and water resource regulations may have on the site once actual mining begins.

Once "due diligence" is completed and a signed agreement is in-hand the permitting process can begin. The complexities of permitting and actual mining is discussed in other sections of this series.

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