Top-Rated Asphalt Paving Contractor in Phoenix AZ - Pavement Built for the Desert

Phoenix covers more than 500 square miles of low Sonoran Desert, and the climate it sits in is one of the most punishing for pavement in the country. Summer highs regularly exceed 110 degrees F, and surface temperatures on exposed asphalt run significantly higher than the air temperature. That level of heat softens binder that was not specified for desert conditions, causing rutting under tire loads and an accelerated oxidation cycle that grays out and cracks surfaces far faster than in temperate climates. A contractor who brings mix specifications designed for the Southwest - not for a mid-Atlantic or Midwest climate - is a basic requirement here.

The monsoon season, which typically runs July through September, adds a second layer of stress. Phoenix can sit bone dry for months, and then receive a full inch of rain in under an hour. Driveways and lots without correctly graded drainage trap that water and push it into any surface crack, undermining the base quickly. Below many Phoenix lots sits caliche, a hard calcium-rich layer that can limit drainage and cause base material to shift as the soil cycles between dry and wet conditions. Contractors who work regularly in Phoenix know to test for caliche depth before planning base preparation so the finished pavement drains correctly from day one.

Phoenix is the capital of Arizona and one of the largest cities in the United States by both population and land area, covering more than 500 square miles in Maricopa County. The city grew rapidly after World War II and again through the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, with most of its housing stock dating from those decades. Central and older neighborhoods - such as the Encanto and Willo historic districts - were built in the 1940s through 1960s and feature older concrete driveways and mature trees that shade the streets. Newer subdivisions pushed outward to the north toward Desert Ridge and Deer Valley, and south toward Ahwatukee, through the 1990s and 2000s. You can learn more about the city at the Phoenix Wikipedia article.

The city is home to landmarks including South Mountain Park and Preserve - one of the largest municipal parks in the country - and Camelback Mountain, which rises from the flat desert in the center of the metro and is visible from much of central Phoenix. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport sits just east of downtown and is one of the busiest in the Southwest. The housing stock across Phoenix is dominated by single-family detached homes with stucco exteriors, concrete tile or asphalt shingle roofs, block perimeter walls, and concrete driveways - all materials that take a beating from the desert sun and summer heat over time. To the east, Tempe shares Phoenix border along the Salt River corridor, and to the northwest, Glendale picks up where Phoenix ends along the I-17 corridor.