I would agree that perennial vegetation is your best erosion control, AFTER first taking care to properly design road layout and drainage. Things like outsloping, crowning, ditching and culverts, or rolling dips all must be designed into the road from the beginning, or else erosion will forever be a problem. Talk with your local State Forestry, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or a civil engineer to provide input. I work with forest roads and we like to use rolling dips as a low cost road drainage solution. Also, I agree with Murf on the use of calcium chloride for vegetation control for a gravel road, BUT if you are going to keep this as a low-use, native soil roadbase, then put vegetation to work for you. Planting of a low-growing soil binding plant will both reduce erosion and discourage weed growth. What I have in mind are some low-growing sod grasses like Kentucky bluegrass, creeping red fescue or sheep fescue, or an herb like white Dutch clover or hairy vetch. (all of these will work if you're in a cold winter, moderate rainfall area). If you are having problems with woody plants resprouting, then your only solution is either periodic rotary cutter use or spot application of herbicide.

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