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I have a low car and the ditch between my driveway and the street is pretty big. I usually enter my car in reverse at a very steep angle as to not have it scrape the lower front. My neighbors park cars pretty much around the driveway and it is sometimes not easy to get in at such an angle as not to scrape. I would like some suggestions I can do on the curb itself to alleviate this problem.

The drive way is about 14 feet long. The ditch is about 18 inches (between the driveway and street) and 3 inches deep.

The street is slightly higher than the driveway. If I get a chance, I’ll take a picture with a level.

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  • Is there a metal structure you could buy? I'm thinking of something very solid so you can drive on it, but with slots/holes in it to let rain pass under. Sort of like the floor gates at the entrances to cattle farms, the ones cows don't like to walk on...
    – Alex Feinman
    Jan 3, 2013 at 16:14
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    I was thinking of like a metal grate top put over the gap. Not sure where to get it and how to put it on given that the street and driveway don’t lineup. Also, not sure how strong it must be to hold the weight of a car. I have seen some neighbors that have put a PVC tube along the gutter and covered it with cement. Others have made a canal in the gutter using a long 2x4 and pouring cement on both sides. Then remove the 2x4 leaving just a narrower gap.
    – Rick
    Jan 3, 2013 at 17:30
  • That sucks! I would have gone with pvc, but @The Evil Greebo is right that the city or county meaty make you remove it. anything else is unsightly. I think I would chance it with the pvc and concrete. Just lay a couple lengths in the gutter and put concrete over them.
    – Tatton Chantry
    Feb 5, 2013 at 21:40
  • I wouldn't worry about the city getting involved. Codes here are a joke. The most that could happen is if it is too far out in the street and they repave it (once every 8 - 10 years), could get damaged a bit, but that would be rare. The city redid my sidewalk about 3 years ago and broke my water meter.
    – Rick
    Feb 6, 2013 at 1:55

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The gap exists for drainage. Technically, it's a gutter.

In order to create a level surface to drive on, you need to fill at least part of the gutter - but you need to do so without impacting the gutter's drainage ability.

Any permanent change you make WILL need to be permitted by the city/county, or they will likely make you take it back out again at your expense.

A not so permanent solution, however, would be to assemble a ramp structure which can be removed and which can support the weight of your car without impeding water flow. Something with a very rough design like this:

enter image description here

For the strength to surface area needed you're probably going to need to use metal. Unless you're a welder/metal worker this may not be a DIY project at all.

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    A a couple squares of 1/4" plate should span the gap without bending or additional support. Even modest sizes get pretty heavy though. A couple small cleats welded to the underside to align with the driveway edge and asphalt edge would help keep it aligned. The huge asphalt lip is caused by budget street overlay jobs. Better quality jobs grind down the region adjacent to the gutter so the surfaces still align.
    – bcworkz
    Jan 3, 2013 at 21:08
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get a few lengths of 1" pvc pipes and lay them in the gutter.get a couple bags of 50' quickkrete and eliminate the gap without clogging your pipes. water can pass ans so can your low rider

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  • Do you mean a single long schedule 40 1" PVC pipe or multiple stacked together?
    – Rick
    Jan 7, 2013 at 19:38

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