Highlands is a small borough at the tip of the Navesink River, where the river meets Sandy Hook Bay and the Route 36 bridge crosses over to Sea Bright and the barrier beach. The town has two very different faces: steep wooded hills climbing toward the Twin Lights, and a low, flat waterfront along the bay. Dan The Paver installs and repaves asphalt driveways in both parts of Highlands, and handles asphalt parking lot work for the marinas, restaurants and small businesses along the shore.
Hills above, waterfront below
On the hill sections, houses are often perched on narrow lots with short, steep driveways that drop or climb sharply from the street. Some have tight turns or retaining walls on one side. These are among the most challenging driveways we pave in Monmouth County, and they need a plan for truck access, material placement and rolling on a slope.
Down near the water, lots are small and flat, many with older cottages and newer homes rebuilt higher off the ground. Driveways there are short and narrow, sometimes shared, and they sit close to the water table.
Building a base that stays put
Each part of Highlands needs a different approach:
- Steep lots: keep the stone base from migrating downhill by compacting it in thin lifts, and direct runoff so it does not scour the edges.
- Waterfront lots: excavate soft, wet soil, build up a thicker compacted base and keep the finished grade even with the street so water drains out instead of ponding.
- Everywhere: sandy shore soil needs real compaction; loose sand settles and leaves dips.
The details of our process are on our asphalt driveway paving page. For driveways with a sound base and only a worn top, milling and repaving may be enough.
Marinas, restaurants and shore businesses
Highlands’ waterfront businesses rely on older asphalt lots that see salt air, standing water and heavy seasonal traffic. We repave and rebuild those lots through our parking lot paving service, timing work before or after the busy summer season where possible.
Who to call about permits
Because so much of Highlands sits in a flood zone, driveway work near the water can involve extra review. Before you change an apron, add paved area or rebuild a driveway, check with the Highlands construction and zoning office.
Nearby, we also work in Atlantic Highlands and across the bridge in Sea Bright. Browse the rest of our service area on the Monmouth County paving page.
Highlands paving questions
Our Highlands house sits on the hill with a very steep driveway. Can asphalt work on a grade like that?
Yes, and it is often the best choice for a steep drive because it gives good traction and flexes slightly with the ground. The keys are a well-compacted base that will not wash out, good compaction of the asphalt itself, and planning where water goes at the bottom of the hill. We also look at how the delivery trucks and roller can safely work on the slope.
We are down near Bay Avenue and the street floods in big storms. Is it worth repaving?
It can be, as long as the job is built for the location. On low waterfront lots we pay extra attention to base thickness and compaction, avoid trapping water against the house, and match the grade to the street so runoff drains naturally. Asphalt that has been underwater for a short time usually survives fine if the base underneath was built right.
