Few people would argue that a dirt or gravel road is superior to a paved road.
To Pave or Not to Pave
1. Paved roads are quieter. Vehicles traveling down a dirt or gravel road dislodge clods or rocks that bounce off the car’s metal. This can be annoying to the drivers and their passengers as well as to those who live along the road.
2. Unpaved roads are not as safe. Mud can make an unpaved road slippery, and the problem can be made worse if other vehicles have left ruts in the road. When unpaved roads are dry, vehicles kick up a lot of dust that can reduce visibility.
3. Paved roads allow for higher speed limits. On an unpaved road, the potholes, ruts or mud can force drivers to reduce their speeds to a crawl, often as little as 5 or 10 mph.
4. Unpaved roads can affect property values for both residential and commercial properties, and they can impact the number of customers that stores and restaurants receive. People dislike taking their cars down “hard roads” that could potentially damage their paint, leave the cars dirty or harm parts attached to the undercarriage of the vehicle.
Despite the obvious benefits, there are still an estimated 1.4 million miles of unpaved roads in America. That is more than one-third of the country’s roads.
One reason that is often given for leaving roads unpaved is that the maintenance costs are less. This holds true only when the road receives very little traffic; with a very low-volume road, the costs involved in maintaining an asphalt road will be slightly higher. However, as the number of cars travelling the road rises, the costs begin to reverse. In most cases, as soon as the road is bearing 75 to 100 cars a day, it becomes approximately twice as expensive to maintain a gravel road as it costs to maintain an asphalt road. If the road is also bearing heavy trucks, the tipping point might be reached with far less than 75 cars.
MH Greeson Paving provides an extensive range of asphalt-related services to customers in the greater Atlanta area as well as most locations in North Georgia. Our services include asphalt paving, asphalt sealcoating, crack and pothole repair, parking lot striping and the installation of traffic signs, bollards and car stops. We believe in providing quality results the first time, every time and on time. You can submit our online form to request a free, no-obligation quote, or call us at 770-335-2983.
