Asphalt Paving in Wilkinsburg, PA

Asphalt paving in Wilkinsburg usually means small jobs on old properties. The borough separated from Sterrett Township on October 5, 1887, and grew fast: 4,662 people in 1890, 18,924 in 1910, 29,639 in 1930 and a peak of 31,418 in 1950. Nearly all of its housing was built in that first half of the twentieth century. The population was 14,349 in 2020, and the borough had 9,197 housing units, 15.2 percent of them vacant. Many homes have no driveway at all, just a rear parking pad, a strip beside the house or access off an alley.

Pads and alleys

We pave a lot of rear parking pads here. The typical problem is what lies under the old surface: cinders, old brick, crushed concrete or plain dirt that was never compacted. Asphalt over that cracks and sinks within a year or two. We dig out to firm ground, put down and compact new stone, and pave with a slight pitch so water runs to the alley or a drain, not against the house or garage. For shared alleys, we can plan the timing with neighbors.

Rehabs and rentals

With so many older and vacant homes, Wilkinsburg has seen a steady stream of restoration work. Wikipedia notes that the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation began restoring houses in the Hamnett Place neighborhood in 2004, improving more than 70 structures within a decade, and a larger restoration project broke ground in 2015. If you are rehabbing a property, we can pave the pad or driveway at the right point in your schedule, and handle several properties in one trip.

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The historic district

The Hamnett Historic District was approved for the National Register on June 28, 2010. On historic blocks, we keep paving tidy: clean edges, no asphalt spilled onto stone or brick walks, and a width that suits the house. If an old pad has stone curbing or a brick border, we form the new asphalt inside it.

Penn Avenue and Ardmore Boulevard

Penn Avenue is Wilkinsburg's main street and was once part of the Forbes Road route. Penn Avenue and Ardmore Boulevard carry the Lincoln Highway legacy, and the borough has been on that route since 1913. These are busy roads, and changes to an entrance within PennDOT right-of-way can need a Highway Occupancy Permit. For entrances onto borough streets, we check with the borough first.

Small business and church lots

Storefronts, churches and community buildings along Penn Avenue and near the East Busway stations often have small lots. We patch, overlay, sealcoat and stripe them, working around services and business hours. Call (412) 796-9361 for a free estimate in Wilkinsburg.