Asphalt Paving in Custer, SD

Asphalt paving in Custer has to fit into one of the shortest seasons in the Black Hills. The town sits at about 5,315 feet, its frost-free season runs about 95 days, and it has recorded 43 below zero (January 19, 1963). Average snowfall is 57.9 inches and precipitation 20.66 inches. Hot-mix paving needs warm ground, so most work lands between late spring and early fall, and sealcoating needs dry days above about 50 degrees.

Gold rush origins

Gold found east of Custer during the 1874 Black Hills Expedition, led by Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer, set off the Black Hills Gold Rush. The town was founded in 1875 as Stonewall and later renamed for Custer. It is the Custer County seat, and the 2020 census counted 1,919 residents.

Tourist traffic

Crazy Horse Memorial is just north of town, and Custer State Park is nearby, so summer brings heavy traffic. Motels, restaurants, shops and campgrounds need their lots ready before the season. We suggest spring paving and sealing, with striping done once the surface cures.

Cabins and mountain drives

Many homes and cabins around Custer sit on wooded, rocky lots with long, sloped drives. Steep stretches need water control, supported edges and thicker asphalt at turns. On long drives, combining hot-mix near the house with gravel or millings farther out keeps cost reasonable.

Freeze and thaw

Cold nights at this elevation persist well into spring and start again early in fall. Water in cracks freezes on more nights a year than in Rapid City, so crack sealing in late summer is the most important maintenance a Custer owner can do.

Approaches

Approaches onto Custer County roads are handled by the county, and onto state highways by the SDDOT area office, which may require a site plan, drainage plan and proof of liability insurance.

Costs

HomeGuide notes that slopes and curves add 15 to 30 percent and extreme-climate mixes 10 to 20 percent. Haul distance from the plant is part of the price. Everything is listed on the written estimate.

Typical jobs here

• Motel, restaurant and shop lot patching and sealcoating before summer
• Campground roads and pads
• Cabin driveways with steep or winding sections
• Full replacement of older in-town driveways
• Late-summer crack sealing before early fall freezes

Call (605) 605-1613 or

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for a free Custer estimate.