My driveway and my tree

[Brian Swartz]

Greetings and thanks for allowing me to participate in this forum. I have a home in upstate New York that was built in 1860. From the looks of the silver maple in my front lawn; the tree is close to the same age. My driveway runs between the house and this tree. As of now, and from several years of intrusion, my driveway is mostly dirt and several roots span and cross this area. I would like to repair my driveway, but I need some ideas of what I can, should, and should not do. I do not want to cover the roots and repave as I need the driveway to be lower than it is now. I have a boat and even now it scrapes the dirt going in and out from the angle difference between the street. So I guess I need to know if all these roots can be cut through to enable the grading of a new drive. I also do not want to destroy or remove the tree. My main reason is I love trees and actually plant more each year on my property. The second, and least important reason, is that National Grid, some 30 years ago or more, had placed support wires into the tree to hold their cable pole in place. What do you think I am able to do in this situation? Excited to hear your responses and always thankful. . .

 

[Marine5068]

That's a tough one considering your wants. Looks like a bigger project than it seems I'm thinking.
I'd just regrade the driveway with good gravel over what's there now.
You'll never get that slope down to where you want it by the looks of it. You'd have to cut it down by about 2-3 feet which will leave you in a ditch for a driveway and you'd be building a very large and long retaining wall.
I'd do the opposite and build it up but then slope the entrance area down, maybe put in a big loop in the unused are of the lawn so you don't have to back out on to the road, but just drive around the loop to face out again.
All you can do without removing the tree.
Keep us posted with pics on what you do.

 

[jomoco]

You could relocate that driveway easy n leave the poor tree alone, super easy, thirty foot to the right, big broad elbow driveway!

Jomoco

 

[Brian Swartz]

If you zoom in on the picture you will see 3 new trees in that area. Also my drive is at the top of a hill. A "T" intersection, so backing up a boat for a new drive would make it an "S" curve off the street. Kinda need the drive where it is. Thanks. . .

 

[rngrchad]

If it were me, I'd level your drive up with some #2 limestone, looks like it'll take about 15 to 20 tons(guessing here maybe 10). length x width x depth = yards. A yard of #2 limestone weighs almost 1.5 tons. Then top that with 15 more tons of 304 limestone, and pack in with a vibratory roller. Won't have to touch the tree.

 

[ArtB]

I'd put a better axle or larger diameter tires on your boat trailer,
then follow marine and chad's advice.

 

[no tree to big]

Just putting this out there...

A lot of silver maples have very bad reactions to root damage. The damage you would do cutting that close to the tree is pretty unsafe for tree stability! And if it dont blow over in a storm it will probably die in a few years anyway...

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

[Marine5068]

If you zoom in on the picture you will see 3 new trees in that area. Also my drive is at the top of a hill. A "T" intersection, so backing up a boat for a new drive would make it an "S" curve off the street. Kinda need the drive where it is. Thanks. . .

Plus if you make a new entrance from the road for said new driveway, you'll need to apply for a 'new entrance permit'.