Asphalt Paving in Rapid City, SD

Asphalt paving in Rapid City covers very different ground within a few miles. The Dakota Hogback splits the city, with Skyline Drive running along its crest, and neighborhoods climb ridges on the west side, spread across Rapid Creek's terraces in the middle and flatten out onto the prairie to the east. A west-side driveway might be steep and on shale; one in the northeast might be flat and on fill near I-90, where much of the city's newer residential and commercial growth sits.

Weather that keeps moving

Rapid City averages 48.5 inches of snow a season, though totals have ranged from 16.9 to 80.9 inches. January's mean temperature is 24.3 degrees, yet chinooks lift the thermometer above 50 about 20 times between December and February. The airport has recorded 111 degrees (July 15, 2006) and 31 below (February 2, 1996). Asphalt here gets the full range: soft in summer, brittle in winter, and wet-then-frozen many times in between.

The 1972 flood and the greenway

On June 9 and 10, 1972, nearly 15 inches of rain fell in about six hours near Nemo, Rapid Creek peaked at 50,000 cubic feet per second through town, and 238 people died. The USGS records 1,335 homes destroyed. Afterward the city turned most of the floodplain into parks, golf courses and bike paths. For property owners next to the greenway today, the lesson is still practical: water moves fast here, and drainage belongs in every paving plan.

Homes and owners

Census QuickFacts for 2020 to 2024 shows 62.9 percent of Rapid City homes owner-occupied and a median owner-occupied value of $299,400. The city grew from 59,607 people in 2000 to 74,703 in 2020, so there is a mix of decades-old driveways in central neighborhoods and newer ones on the edges. Older driveways often need full replacement; newer ones mostly need crack sealing and sealcoating to stay ahead of the weather.

Approach rules

The city's right-of-way guide requires a permit for building or altering any driveway approach, sidewalk or curb and gutter, and says a building permit does not cover that work. Residential approach openings run 12 to 30 feet and commercial ones 16 to 28 feet, not counting tapers. A corner lot is limited to one approach, on the less-traveled street. Property owners also maintain the sidewalk in front of their lot, and the guide flags cracks or lips of three-quarters of an inch or more for replacement. We check these points before quoting work near the street.

Commercial lots

Government services, including Ellsworth Air Force Base, are the largest part of the local economy, health care employs more than 8,000 people in the area, and tourism peaks every summer and during the first week of August when rally visitors pass through. Lots serving clinics, offices, hotels and restaurants need sound base, good drainage and clear striping. We phase lot work so businesses stay open.

Call (605) 605-1613 or

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