Tar and Chip

Belkay Drive is a small no-outlet street that runs off of Belkay Lane in Amberley Village, Ohio. On August 24, 2006, this small street was refinished with the wonderful tar and chip method of paving.

This paving method coats the entire road surface with a waterproof membrane of sticky asphalt cement. A generous amount of small limestone chips are immediately broadcast into the hot tar. The tar grabs onto the stones and holds them in place permanently.

The chips are rolled in place with a steam roller machine. After several weeks, excess stone chips are removed so the surface resembles any other blacktop surface.

The tar and chip method of paving is not new. It is how roads used to be paved. The surface offers excellent traction and is very affordable. The surface can last up to ten years without any care.

Here you can see half of the road complete and the other half just the jet-black hot tar. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

A special attachment for a dump truck allows the perfect amount of limestone chips to fall into the hot tar. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

This is the finished surface. The darker spots are just wet gravel. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

This is the special truck filled with the hot tar. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter