Detecting dug up roads?

[roccus]

I live in a town that was first settled in 1860 and grew into a productive thriving town in it's days. I just hear there are plans to dig up a section of road that is the main road in and out of town since 1860. They are supposed to tear about 1/4 of a mile that is closet to the center of town. I was told they are going to remove all the pavement down to bare ground to widen the road etc..

I am wondering..... if they take the pavement down to the dirt would that expose the original road as it would have been before it was ever paved? Has anyone ever detected a situation like this with any luck? If so was permission from the town hard to get to do it??

 

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[BigWaveDave]

Very well could be the best hunt you'll ever have.
Street tearouts are virgin sites.

I never saw a street tear out that I didn't drool over.

 

[Obsessive]

I saw a video on youtube where this was the same situation. They killed it. All kinds of great old coins. Lemme know if you need any help!
Youtube search "detecting a street tear out".

 

[ChampFerguson/TN]

I think that vid was Jason in Enid and the old roadway it was in or near OK. And yeah did they ever score big. I'd drive by that road daily to be first on it if I was you!

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... I was told they are going to remove all the pavement down to bare ground to widen the road etc.....

I work in industry that surrounds paving. And 99% of the time, when they do road re-paving, they do NOT go down to "native soil". It might LOOK like native soil/dirt to the un-trained eye. But it is usually always just the DG (decomposed granite) fill layer. There is no need for them to take out the compacted base. So they usually only grind (aka "mill") to just under the existing asphalt, but not through the compacted fill base.

The only time would be if there's some structural engineering need to do so. Otherwise, repaving projects just grind out the top 6" or whatever.

.... If so was permission from the town hard to get to do it??

for sidewalk demolition and/or street tearout projects, you do not ask "permission" (as if it were needed). You simply wait till after 5:30pm, when all the workers have cut out for the day, and ..... go.

 

[roccus]

I am going to stay on it... I have to go to town hall to get some info on an old school house and will see if I can get or need permission to do the road and maybe a start date when they will be digging it up and as soon as I see pavement gone and they go home for the day I will be in there. I also had nice chat with the head of the local historical society a couple weeks ago in the end he asked if I could volunteer 3 hours a week on Saturday to sit in the town museum. I said I would this could be good maybe get to know some people in the society.... This could be good for getting permission for some old house sites...

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... and will see if I can get or need permission to do the road ...

For road and sidewalk tearout, there is nothing but a few orange cones, perhaps some barricades and yellow tape. Why are you going to go swat hornet's nests at city hall ? Your "pressing question" might go up and down through legal channels, and you will find yourself the victim of the "safe" answer routine.

eg.: "sometimes no one cares UNTIL you ask". Just go.

 

[roccus]

They tore the sidewalks up in a section last year they were paved and have not yet put anything down over it.. might go check that out this week... I am not sure how much top they are going to remove I was told down to bare ground.. probably like you said just to the base.. thy are also going to dig ditches for new water/sewer lines....

 

[foiler]

Some of the best hunts I've been on where in circumstance as your about to experience. First gold coins came during such a hunt. A bit of advice. Don't expect your finds to be at or near the surface. Use the largest coil you have. Roads back then often where knee deep in mud and wagon ruts during heavy rains and melting snows. Measure from the floor to your knee. that's where the gold could drop too. Dig everything and don't go too heavy on the iron disc. Small gold coins that are deep will give you low tones bordering if not in the iron zone. These opportunities don't come about everyday. You don't want to miss anything.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... thy are also going to dig ditches for new water/sewer lines....

While there are always exceptions, trenches for utility pipes are often no good. Reasons are the following:

a) they are often digging where they had previously dug decades ago when the lines were put in (assuming it's a project where they're re-doing existing lines-work). Hence the dirt is already disturbed or fill.

b) even if native dirt, go figure: A trench line might be a foot or two across, right ? Yet multiple feet deep, right ? And realistically speaking , in any old town situation, there is always a "sweet zone" . Such that beyond a certain depth, it's sterile (you're below human influence). And above which perhaps they "haven't gone deep enough". Thus the vast majority of trench line spoils dirt, will *not* be the right strata. Versus a uniform scrape at all-the-same depth (like sidewalk removal where they haven't yet scraped deeper) is much more ideal. In a uniform scrape of sorts, you have the chance that ALL the available acreage is the "sweet zone".

 

[roccus]

Thanks Tom I mentioned the ditch digging meaning they will be doing this piece of road for some time.. they are so slow around here for projects like this they will have traffic screwed up all summer for sure..

They have what is now know as a town out door ice skate rink on a plot... in the 1800's it was what they called the town common, the oldest park in town, the local militia used to drill there before the civil war, then after the civil war a school house was built on the land but was torn down in the 20's as it went back to being a park. They used to have a circus go there every summer and it was used for other town uses.. I went to take a look at the area and was devastated to see it looks like at one time they paved the whole lot... looks like very old pavement maybe 40's or early 50's then at some time tossed about 4 to 6" of soil over the pavement and put grass in....

 

[ChampFerguson/TN]

You KNOW the roadway is public property. Period. End of that story. Case Closed.
Why in the world would you even consider asking permission to detect it?
Absolutely Zero upside and Tremendous downside to that path.

I am all about obtaining permission where it isn't clear, but this is not one of those cases.

 

[diggingthe1]

Check where they dump the extra piles of dirt also. I have the best luck around the sidewalks but the streets are great too. Hopefully they will scrape it down just right for you!! I think my small town is used to me showing up after the construction crews leave. Good luck!!

 

[roccus]

Will just have to see how they do it.. there is a chance that when they are working on one side of the road at a time they will shut the lane down and use flag men while they are working on the site then open the lane when they go home for the day....

 

[Deerhunter24]

Here is my 2 cents...


First and foremost...I ALWAYS do my best to secure permission on sites before detecting. This applies 100% of the time on PRIVATE PROPERTY. It does the detecting community no good when people are trespassing just to find a few coins...



That being said...I agree 100% with what others are saying. YOU DO NOT NEED PERMISSION ON PUBLIC ROADS. Just be smart. Go after closing. Never go when the workers are there unless you are far away and no bother to them. Sometimes they even tell you they dont care. The only problems you might have is if you go there while they are working and you are getting in the way. Or...perhaps if there are huge barricades or perhaps somewhat dangerous areas (or what others consider dangerous) where perhaps injury can happen.

If it is just your every day street tearout project...you shouldn't have many issues.


I have done numerous street construction projects over the years.


I've only been asked to leave 1 street project ever! And these people were total A-Holes. Even managed to get permission from the Police Chief after...then have it revoked by City Hall.


Any time you ask...you 99% of the time will be turned down.

Why? Because nobody wants to accept the fact that the answer is a simple "yes"...so they tell you they need to ask those in charge. You'll almost never get a "Yes" because nobody want the liability...or perceived liability.


I'm telling you...if you ask...you really are swatting the Hornets Nest. You most likely will be turned down. Or...you'll be asked to the come to a certain town meeting...which will be 3 months away...after the street project has been finished!

If you go out there...most likely nobody will complain. Occasionally you will get the cops called. They usually just come out and see whats going on. Make sure you aren't doing anything bad.

MAKE SURE TO COVER YOUR HOLES!!! Even in street tearouts.


Also...I saw where someone else mentioned the coins being deep.

I find exactly the opposite to be true...at least in my area. I always use SMALL or MEDIUM sized coils to separate between targets.

I've have excellent luck doing this over the years and have found plenty of keepers even 1" deep. Most my coins in street projects are 4" or less deep.



Good Luck,

Chuck