Bulk Aggregates for Pathways in Metropolis, IL

Illinois Rock Supply brings gravel and aggregate delivery in Metropolis, IL. River stages set the calendar here.

Spring and early summer high water can shut bottomland sites for weeks, so timing a load matters as much as the material itself.

CA-6, the dense graded crushed limestone with the fines left in, is the base material this market builds on.

Ground and Conditions in Metropolis

Metropolis sits on flat alluvial bottomland in Massac County, at the meeting of two big rivers. The ground under it is deep silt, sand and clay laid down by water, with sand ridges and old channel scars running through it.

The water table is high across most of this ground. Heavy rain has nowhere to go, and backwater can hold water on the land for a long stretch.

A thin base fails here in a predictable way. Water sits in the silt, the stone punches down into the soft ground, and the surface ruts out from the bottom up.

The fix is a thick compacted base of CA-6 that spreads the load and keeps the soft ground from working up into the stone. Clean washed stone handles the water, and fines-bearing stone handles the structure.

Winters are the mildest in Illinois, with limited freeze and thaw, so the ground rarely stays frozen for long. Frost depth is set by the local building department.

What the ground means for your project

• Soft silt and clay need a base course that bridges rather than sinks.
• A high water table needs a clean stone drainage layer, not more fines.
• Runoff concentrates fast on flat ground, so plan where water leaves the site.
• River stages can close bottomland work for weeks in spring.

Materials for Metropolis Projects

Paths and walkways are where fines and screenings do their best work. A walkable surface needs a material that knits together underfoot instead of rolling away, and that means a graded material with the fines left in.

Lime Screenings are crushed limestone fines, the standard bedding layer in Illinois. They bed pavers and flagstone, surface garden walks, and backfill around pipe.

Screened fines compact to a firm, smooth surface that a wheelbarrow or a foot rolls across without grabbing.

Walkway Gravel is the graded option for paths that need a finer, walkable finish. It locks together under foot traffic and holds its shape on a prepared base.

For the base under any of it, CA-6 is the Illinois base material. It is dense graded crushed limestone with the fines left in, and it goes down under driveways, parking pads, shed and garage bases and trench backfill.

Where water has to move, switch to clean washed stone. CA-7 is washed clean stone with no fines, for bedding under pipe, drainage trenches, French drains and concrete flatwork.

3/4" Crushed Stone, sold as CA-11, is the 3/4 inch clean washed stone that goes alongside it.

For smaller work, CA-16 Chips are 3/8 inch chips for permeable paver bedding, drainage around tanks, and topping a compacted base.

Delivery to Metropolis and the Surrounding Area

Order online and pick a delivery date at checkout. Quantities are ordered by the ton or by the yard, and each product page has a calculator to help you size the load.

A dump truck tips the load in one pile on site. The driver does not spread or place it, so pick a spot that keeps the pile clear of the work area.

Delivery covers Metropolis and the rest of Massac County, including Brookport. Bulk loads go to driveways, building sites and bottomland parcels across the area.

Questions About Ordering in Metropolis

What should I have ready when the truck arrives?

Have the delivery spot clear and reachable, with room for a dump truck to pull in and tip the load. The pile lands in one place, so choose a spot that keeps it out of the way of your work.

If the ground is soft from recent rain, pick a firmer spot so the truck can get out again.

What is the best base under pavers in Metropolis?

CA-6 is the base material here, a dense graded crushed limestone with the fines left in that compacts into a firm, load-spreading layer. Lime Screenings go on top as the bedding layer that the pavers sit in.

On this ground, the base does the structural work and the screenings do the leveling.

Order Your Load for Metropolis

Start with the calculator on the product page to settle your quantity in tons or yards, then choose a delivery date at checkout. Illinois Rock Supply delivers CA-6, washed stone, screenings, sand and soil across Metropolis and Massac County.

Place your order online when you are ready.