revtothelimit - motorbike forum

Near us is the outlet for a French drain at the bottom of a sloping field. The outlet pipe is just above a street drain so you'd hope the stream of drained water would just go down there, but unfortunately the drain isn't right at the side of the road so the water flows past it and creates a giant slick across the road. Obvs in winter this is very dangerous.

So, I'm thinking of using a bit of sand and cement mix to create a shallow 'dam' to channel the water into the drain. My concern is, will this stay in place after a few tractors have rolled over it and will just mortar be strong enough anyway?

To clarify,I are not a construction worker,but I can't see a concrete raised part of the road lasting very long. How would you even allow it time to set without traffic levelling it? Heavy vehicles make short work of hastily filled potholes,so I've doubts about a dam's longevity.

Would it be theoretically possible to make a length/spout to bring the drain exit closer to the street drain so water actually goes where it should?

Dig it all up and connect the french drain directly the street drain below ground level.

Or : complain bitterly to the council about it every single week of winter, with photographic evidence: "should" someone lose control of it, they'll then be liable for damages because they've left a dangerous road condition fester, and they can sort out the above.

Rockburner wrote: Mon Aug 18, 2025 4:55 pm Dig it all up and connect the french drain directly the street drain below ground level.

Or : complain bitterly to the council about it every single week of winter, with photographic evidence: "should" someone lose control of it, they'll then be liable for damages because they've left a dangerous road condition fester, and they can sort out the above.

Yeah, we logged with our council that there'd been a sequence of accidents at a junction and the road markings were very faint.

(Road joins at a 90º bend so, if you're coming down that road it just looks like you go straight on. GPSs add to the problem).

Whoosh. Out they come and redecorate the junction.
6 months later they re-engineer it so you HAVE to slow down.

Having been warned they are really exposed if further accidents happen.

I'd also wonder where you stand legally if you modify a public road without permission. What if you made it worse and someone crashed as a result?

I had a similar experience to Counter Steer. My car tyre was ripped apart by a projecting edge of crumbling concrete and I didn't get a penny in compensation but within a few months proper kerbing was installed wherever drain covers encroached on the edge of that stretch of road.