Benefits of Asphalt

Over 94% of America’s roads are paved with asphalt. Learn about the asphalt benefits you can use to capitalize on your next project.

Asphalt Benefits

If you are a business owner or member of a municipality you may ask yourself what are the benefits of asphalt? There are many asphalt benefits from environmental considerations to cost and safety considerations.

As the oldest asphalt contractor in the region, Eaton Asphalt has embraced the improvements in asphalt construction and technology. After 100 years, there is a reason we only focus on asphalt; we truly believe it is the most durable, cost effective, and sustainable product available. Whether it is a road, parking lot, airport, or any other specialized pavement system, asphalt provides the best value for the taxpayer and private owner by providing the lowest life cycle cost and the highest residual value.

To learn more about how asphalt is made please visit our manufacturing page.

Over 94% of roads in America are paved with asphalt, and when we examine the benefits there is no surprise why:

Asphalt is Safe

Asphalt creates the smoothest surface for driving. Smooth roads allow better contact with vehicle tires for a safer (and more enjoyable) ride. Open-graded asphalt, a special type of road surface, can minimize splash and spray during rainstorms thus reducing crashes and fatalities on highways.

Asphalt is Cost-effective

Smooth roads aren’t just safer, they also save money. Reduced wear and tear on vehicles due to fewer bumps in the road brings down vehicle operating costs. Also, increasing a roadway’s smoothness by 25 percent extends its lifespan which saves taxpayers money. Asphalt roads can be built more quickly and cost-effectively than other pavements as well, and they can be designed as a “Perpetual Pavement” that needs only periodic maintenance to perform well indefinitely.

Asphalt is Energy Efficient

Smooth asphalt roads also reduce rolling resistance (the friction between tires and pavement), which means better fuel economy and reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Special warm mix asphalt pavements can be constructed at lower temperatures, further reducing the energy required to heat asphalt materials for road construction.

Asphalt is Motorist-Friendly

One of the chief benefits of asphalt is the motorist friendly construction process. Asphalt roads can be paved just a lane at a time, minimizing disruption to citizens and reducing congestion through speedy construction processes, saving taxpayers thousands of dollars in user costs. Projects can often be completed in one short day, even overnight, leaving routes open for travelers and providing street access for stores and businesses.

Other materials can be poured in place but are not ready for traffic for several days while the material sets up. Asphalt can be paved, striped and driven on in one afternoon.

Asphalt is Environmentally-Friendly

The benefits of asphalt extend beyond the road; it is the most recycled product in America. The asphalt industry reuses and recycles nearly 100 million tons of asphalt pavement a year, saving taxpayers an estimated $2.1 billion annually. Waste such as used tires and shingles can also be reused in new asphalt pavement.