What is a bar ditch?

Bar ditch is a type of canal that extends along both sides of the road. Also known as a bar pit or bar pit, it is used for drainage. Dirt removed to dig the bar ditch, can also be added to the neighboring road to further increase the area around it. This term is most often heard in the southwestern United States. The bed can consist of dirt, grass or wild plants. Some bar ditches have a relatively steep decline, while others are rather a smooth decline. Depending on the depth, there may be less inconvenience or significant problem for the driver who goes from the road. First, the teams of workers used dirt to remove. Later, plows and horse teams were used to move the country. Usually, the workers who dug a ditch would smooth out dirt until the surface was sufficient for traveling. This effort aimed to improve the condition of roads that were used for horses, but now have seen more cars that needed smoother terrain.

In some areas, the government was obliged to owners the property near the road to participate in digging the bar ditches. Owners should choose a crew or manage the work themselves. Some workers created their own teams and concluded a contract with the owners of real estate to dig out the ditches. Real estate owners who did not cooperate were rated higher taxes. This was considered to be the most effective way to ensure that the roads are properly designed and available in continuous sections of a sufficient mileage.

Now that most roads are made of cement, the bar ditch is less often used. Most often it occurs along roads that are not strongly traveling or which are in rural areas. In addition to gravel and dirt, a bar ditch can now also be found along with smaller cement roads.

bar ditch is usually interrupted in several places, where another road or driveway intersects. In order to achieve maximum drainage, the tunnel under these sections of the road, which covers the moat, is required. Usually these tunnels are reinforced with cement culverts or robust metal.