Homeowners who want a new asphalt driveway can have lots of questions, like how much it costs, how long it takes to pave an asphalt driveway, and how long before you can park on your new driveway. The best person to answer these questions is your local residential paving contractor. In Columbia MD, All State Paving is the most experienced and reputable paving company, and we’ve developed state of the art asphalt solutions for Maryland homeowners.

After getting a new asphalt driveway installed, you want to get the most use out of it, but it’s important to avoid walking, driving, or parking on fresh asphalt right away, as it can cause damage.

The Asphalt Installation Process

Grading of the soil underneath the area for proper drainage
Application of a substrate like gravel, if necessary
Pouring hot asphalt over the driveway area
Compacting the asphalt
Letting the liquid asphalt cool and cure into a solid, durable layer

How long before you can walk on new asphalt?

Since people weigh less than cars and trucks, you should be able to safely walk on a new asphalt driveway after 24 hours at the earliest, but it’s best to wait for 3 days (72 hours) before walking or driving on fresh asphalt to prevent any damage.

How long before driving and parking on a new asphalt driveway?

For vehicles, you should give your new asphalt plenty of time to cure. Asphalt experts recommend waiting for 2 weeks before parking on your new driveway. While 14 days seems like a long time to wait, remember that vehicles are heavy and leaving a vehicle sitting on fresh asphalt can result in depressions, rutting, scarring, and more.