One city, two counties, both banks of the Lehigh

Asphalt Paving in Bethlehem, PA

Driveways and lots from the North Side hills to South Side streets, on a city road network of more than 200 miles.

Free estimates at your property
Itemized written quote: base depth, asphalt thickness and edges
Street and alley permit questions answered before work is scheduled

Paving in a City That Straddles Two Counties

Asphalt paving in Bethlehem starts with knowing which part of the city you are in. Bethlehem spans two counties: the 2020 census placed 55,639 of its 75,781 residents in Northampton County and 19,343 in Lehigh County. The Lehigh River splits the city into north and south halves, joined by bridges such as the Hill to Hill Bridge that carries PA 378 across the river and into downtown. Housing ranges from colonial-era and 1800s blocks near the historic core to the postwar neighborhoods on the city's edges.

A big city road network

Bethlehem has 234.13 miles of public roads, and the city maintains 206.78 of them. That matters to homeowners in one practical way: most driveways in Bethlehem end at a city-maintained curb and street, so any work past your property line runs through the city rather than PennDOT. If a driveway project would touch the curb, sidewalk or street, we check with the city's engineering staff before scheduling, and we tell you what we find.

Hills and drainage

The city climbs away from the river on both sides, and many driveways run steeply up or down from the street. A steep driveway needs a well-compacted base so the asphalt does not creep downhill in summer heat, and a plan for water: a crown, a swale or a trench drain at the bottom so runoff does not pour into the garage. For driveways that drop toward the house, we check where the water will go before anything is paved.

Winter on the river

Bethlehem's average January high is 37 degrees and it has recorded -16 degrees, with about 45 inches of precipitation a year. That mix of cold snaps, snow and rain is exactly what opens up cracks in asphalt. A fall round of crack filling and a sealcoat every few years are the cheapest ways to keep a Bethlehem driveway out of the replacement column.

What we do here

Driveway replacement with new stone base on hillside lots
Overlays for worn driveways where the base is still sound
Parking lots for churches, schools, offices and apartment buildings
Pothole and edge repair, crack filling and sealcoating
Restriping commercial lots with the accessible spaces the 2010 ADA Standards require

Pricing a Bethlehem job

Hillside lots change the math. A flat 400-square-foot driveway is mostly removal, base and paving; a steep one with a turn at the top adds hand work, extra compaction passes and often a trench drain. North Side homes with a garage under the house usually need the most drainage work, while South Side rowhouse and twin pads are small but slow to reach. The estimate lists each of those items separately so you can see what the slope and access are adding. Driveway work is best scheduled from May through October, and crack filling and sealing in late summer, so the surface is ready before the first freeze.

I-78 clips the southeast corner of the city, which keeps the South Side and the Saucon Valley close by. Call (610) 620-2512 or

Get a Free Estimate

to have a Bethlehem driveway or lot looked at.

Bethlehem Paving Notes

Split between counties. At the 2020 census, 55,639 of Bethlehem's 75,781 residents lived in Northampton County and 19,343 in Lehigh County.
City-maintained streets. Bethlehem has 234.13 miles of public roads, of which 206.78 miles are maintained by the city. I-78 runs along the southeast corner and PA 378 crosses the Hill to Hill Bridge into downtown.
Winter climate. The mean January high is 37 degrees, the record low is -16 degrees, and annual precipitation averages 45.45 inches.
Size and elevation. The city covers 19.12 square miles of land at an elevation of about 360 feet.

Our Services in Bethlehem, PA

Bethlehem Questions

Who do I call about my curb or sidewalk in Bethlehem?

The City of Bethlehem, since the city maintains most of its streets. If our work would touch the curb, sidewalk or street, we raise it at the estimate and check the current requirements with the city first.

My driveway is steep. Will asphalt hold?

Yes, with a well-compacted base, the right mix and a plan for runoff at the bottom. Steep driveways may need a trench drain or a swale so water does not run into the garage.

Do you work on both sides of the river?

Yes. We work across the North Side, the South Side and the surrounding townships.

Do you pave rowhouse pads on the South Side?

Yes. Pads behind South Side rowhouses and twins are usually small and hard to reach, so we use compact equipment and plan the joint with the alley or street so water drains away from the garage.

Free Estimates in Bethlehem, PA

Free estimates for driveways and lots throughout Bethlehem.

Call (610) 620-2512 Free Estimate