Asphalt Paving in Shaler Township, PA

Asphalt paving in Shaler Township starts with the land. Wikipedia describes the township as largely hilly, with three stream valleys running north to the Allegheny River. Pine Creek and Little Pine Creek converge in neighboring Etna, and Girtys Run flows from Shaler into Millvale. That means most homes sit on a slope above one of those valleys, and most driveways either climb or drop. The township counted 28,132 people in 2020 on about 11.2 square miles, and we pave, resurface and repair driveways here for every kind of lot.

Water is the main enemy

On a hillside driveway, rain does not soak in and drain away. It runs down the pavement, finds every crack and joint, and carries fine soil out from under the edges. Once the edge is undermined, the asphalt breaks off in chunks. The fix is not a thicker top layer. It is a well-drained stone base, edges that are supported, and a planned path for the water, whether that is a crown, a cross-slope to one side or a trench drain at the garage. We plan that on every Shaler job before the old pavement comes out.

Glenshaw and its history

Much of Glenshaw lies within the township. Its name comes from Shaw's Glen, after John Shaw Sr., who bought 600 acres in 1800 and built a sawmill; the Glenshaw Glass plant later sped up settlement. Older homes near the original village often have narrow, steep driveways and retaining walls of stone or block. We work carefully near those walls, keeping heavy equipment away from the top of the wall and the base well drained so water pressure does not push on the stone.

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The postwar suburb

According to Wikipedia, after World War II the township became an affluent suburb as many Pittsburgh residents moved in, and it had 29,757 people by 2000. The driveways from that era are now sixty or seventy years old in many cases. Some have been overlaid so many times that the surface sits above the garage floor. Others have settled at the street. We remove old layers where needed so the new pavement meets the garage and the road at the right height.

Allison Park and newer streets

Part of the Allison Park area also falls in the township. Homes in later subdivisions tend to have wider two-car driveways and less steep grades, and the work there is more often resurfacing, crack sealing and sealcoating to extend the life of pavement that is still sound.

Working near the right-of-way

Several portions of Shaler have Pittsburgh mailing addresses, which can make it confusing to know who maintains the road. Before any work at the street, we confirm whether the road belongs to the township, the county or PennDOT, and what approval that owner requires. Call (412) 796-9361 for a free estimate anywhere in the township.