In New England, driving safely in the snow is just a fact of life. Even when there are several feet of snow and ice, people need to use the roads for their daily tasks. Cassidy Paving understands how essential safe asphalt paving services are to public safety and snow can throw an additional hazard on the roadways. Snow safety is asphalt safety. Here are the most important things to understand when it comes to wintertime paving.
What to Know About Winter and Asphalt in New England
Asphalt pavement is a very reliable material regardless of the climate, but harsh winters like we see in New England really do give residential driveway asphalt and asphalt parking lots a big test. The freeze-thaw cycle is extra hard on porous materials like asphalt. According to recent research published in Transportation Research Procedia: “rutting, fatigue cracking and low temperature cracking are the major distresses responsible for degradation of the pavement and consequently leads to the failure of flexible pavement.” These are often found in asphalt once the ground is consistently above freezing levels throughout our area. Even though it is common, the snow causes these issues, and they are hazardous to your safety, especially over long periods of time.
Preparing for the Worst
The only way to avoid unsafe snow situations on your asphalt is to have a plan in place. This should include an asphalt paving and maintenance plan that puts your pavement in its best shape to withstand the expansion and contraction that comes with fluctuating temperatures. The best thing you can do is to have your parking lot or driveway inspected by a professional asphalt paving contractor well before the winter. If you have asphalt potholes, cracks, or pooling water, these issues should be addressed prior to the winter. Leaving these unattended can be a major safety liability for you throughout the snow season. This is not a situation where waiting will save you money. The longer you wait for repairs, the more costly they will become.
Snow Removal Tips
The accumulation of ice and snow is also in itself unsafe. You should make a plan for managing and removing it from your pavement periodically throughout the winter. If you have an asphalt driveway, make sure to salt it before the first deep freeze. This will help you maintain some level of consistent thawing throughout the wintertime. You also should invest in a plastic-edged shovel to remove snow when it gets above one foot tall. If you are a commercial property manager, there are flexible and scalable snow clearing services for you with the team here at Cassidy Paving. We can take care of the snow removal for you either throughout the season, by push, or by storm – it is totally up to you.
Get Your Free Estimate
Snow safety on the road should be a priority for everyone. Our team understands how to care for and prepare your asphalt pavement for the tests of every season. Give us a call today at 866-978-9788 for your free estimate. We can work on a plan that makes your property safe year-round.
