Asphalt Driveway Paving in Jackson, MS

Asphalt driveway paving in the Jackson area is mostly about what goes under the blacktop. Yazoo clay swells after a wet spell and shrinks during a dry one, and a driveway resting on it moves with it. If your driveway has heaved in one spot and sunk in another, cracked in a long line across the middle or broken into alligator cracks near the street, the ground has been moving under a base that was too thin to bridge it. A new driveway has to fix that cause, not just cover it.

Signs it is time to replace

• Cracks that join into a web or alligator-skin pattern
• Heaves, dips or ruts that hold water after a storm
• Potholes that come back after patching
• Edges crumbling into the yard
• More patch than original surface

A few isolated cracks can be sealed and a small failed area can be cut out and patched. When the problems cover most of the driveway, replacement usually costs less over time than fixing the same spots again and again.

Undercutting the clay

After the old surface comes off, we proof the subgrade and look for spots that pump, rut or feel soft underfoot. On Yazoo clay those are dug out and replaced with compacted crushed stone; it is the same approach MDOT uses under highways. Then the base is built up and compacted in lifts to the depth in your quote. HomeGuide describes a typical residential section as 2 to 3 inches of compacted asphalt over 6 to 8 inches of gravel base, and 3 to 4 inches over 8 to 10 inches for heavier vehicles. Driveways that see delivery trucks, boat trailers or a camper get the heavier section, and on bad clay the base usually goes deeper than the minimum.

Slope, crown and edges

Most Jackson lots are fairly flat, which means water does not leave on its own. We shape the surface with a crown or cross slope so rain sheets off to the sides, keep the low end from draining toward the garage, and grade the yard at the edges so water moves away from the asphalt instead of soaking into the clay beside it. Edges are compacted, tapered and backfilled so they are supported. Where a driveway crosses a roadside ditch, a pipe may be needed, and on a state highway that pipe must meet MDOT's culvert criteria.

Gravel-to-asphalt conversions

Plenty of homes in Terry, Canton, Richland and the rural parts of all three counties still have gravel drives. An existing gravel bed can sometimes serve as part of the new base, which helps the budget. We check how much stone is left, how much has been pushed down into the clay, and whether the grade drains, then regrade, add stone and pave.

After paving

Fresh asphalt stays soft in Mississippi summer heat. Keep cars off it for the time we give you, avoid turning the wheel while parked, and put a board under kickstands and trailer jacks. Sealcoating waits three to six months while the asphalt cures.