Home › Speed Bumps, Curbs, and Asphalt Accessories
Control traffic and improve safety on your property with professional speed bump installation in Pittsburgh, PA. We build asphalt speed humps, curbing, and parking stops that are highly visible and correctly placed. Schedule a site visit to design traffic calming features that fit your layout.
Precision Asphalt Pittsburgh provides professional speed bump installation throughout Pittsburgh, PA, Pennsylvania and the surrounding area. Our licensed, insured crew delivers safe, clean, on-time work with a free estimate before anything begins. Call (412) 725-2842 or request your free quote.
Practical Speed Bump Installation in Pittsburgh Neighborhoods
Speed bump installation is only effective if it matches how people actually drive on your property. At Precision Asphalt Pittsburgh, we start every speed bump project by walking the site with you, not just looking at a map. We watch traffic patterns, note where drivers cut through lots, and measure approach distances so we can place bumps where they slow cars without creating backups or damage to vehicles.
For most parking lots and private drives in Pittsburgh, we recommend asphalt speed bumps or humps built directly into the existing pavement. This gives a longer service life than bolt down rubber units and handles snowplow work better. Typical heights range from 2.5 to 3 inches, with lengths from 12 to 22 feet depending on the width of the lane and target speed. We use a tapered profile that eases entry and exit while still forcing drivers to slow down.
Pittsburgh weather is a big factor. Freeze thaw cycles can break poorly installed bumps apart within a couple of winters. To avoid that, we mill a shallow trench into your existing asphalt, usually 1 to 1.5 inches deep, so the new bump keys into the surface. This reduces edge cracking and chipping from snow plows and truck traffic. We also prime the milled area with a bonding tack coat, then compact the new asphalt in multiple passes to lock everything together.
If your property is subject to municipal review, we align our designs to local standards for slopes, markings, and signage. We can add reflective striping, warning symbols, and proper advance signage so you stay within code and reduce liability risk. Every speed bump installation includes a clear layout plan, so you know the exact size, spacing, and markings before work begins.
How Curbs Protect Your Asphalt and Control Traffic
Curbs are not just an edge for landscaping. Done right, they keep vehicles where they belong, protect your pavement from edge failure, and manage drainage across your site. Precision Asphalt Pittsburgh installs asphalt and concrete curbs that are built for the hills and water flow patterns you see all over Allegheny County.
For many commercial lots, we recommend concrete curbing at the perimeters and around islands. Concrete handles repeated tire scuffing and plow contact better than asphalt in those tight areas. We set forms to match the grades of your existing pavement so that water runs to inlets instead of pooling against buildings or sidewalks. In older Pittsburgh lots, we often find low spots and random patches that trap water. When we rebuild or add curbs, we correct those grades so your drainage actually works.
On driveways and smaller lots where budgets are tight, asphalt curb (sometimes called asphalt berm) can be a good option. We machine place a continuous curb using hot mix asphalt and then compact it to tie into the surface. It is not as hard as concrete but it is faster and cheaper to install and can be repaired easily during future paving work. We are honest about where asphalt curb makes sense and where it will not hold up, for example in heavy truck lanes or where plows constantly ride the edge.
Before any curb work, we check how plows currently operate on the site and where trucks swing wide. That way we avoid placing curbs where they will be repeatedly hit. Our team will talk directly with your maintenance staff or plow contractor if needed, so what looks good on a plan also works in real Pittsburgh winters.
Other Asphalt Accessories That Make Your Lot Work Better
Speed bump installation and new curbing usually go hand in hand with other asphalt accessories that make a property safer and easier to use. At Precision Asphalt Pittsburgh, we plan these items together instead of treating each as a one off add on.
Typical accessories we install include wheel stops, bollards, signage bases, raised crosswalks, and protective aprons at dumpster pads or loading docks. For wheel stops, we help you choose between precast concrete, recycled rubber, or asphalt built in place. Concrete lasts longest but can chip if plows hit them. Rubber offers some flexibility and reflects light at night. Asphalt stops look cleaner in lots where you want a continuous black surface and fewer obstacles.
Raised crosswalks and pedestrian tables are another option when standard speed bumps are not ideal. These are wider, lower ramps that slow vehicles while giving people a clearly defined walking area. They work well at apartment complexes, schools, and hospital entries around Pittsburgh where foot traffic and vehicle traffic overlap. We make sure these are compatible with ADA access and can mark them with high contrast coatings for visibility.
We also install trench drains, concrete collars around storm inlets, and thickened asphalt pads where heavy trucks sit or turn. Those details keep the rest of your pavement from breaking apart at weak points like dumpster areas or service alleys. Every accessory is placed with long term maintenance in mind, including how plows, delivery trucks, and pedestrians will interact with it in day to day use.
What Drives Cost for Speed Bumps, Curbs, and Accessories
Property owners in Pittsburgh often ask why speed bump installation or curb work on one site costs more than what a neighbor paid. The truth is that cost is mostly driven by access, drainage corrections, sub-base condition, and how much the existing pavement needs to be cut or milled.
For speed bumps, the largest cost factors are how many locations you need, lane width, and whether we can pave them in a single mobilization. A small residential association with three bumps spaced far apart might pay more per bump than a commercial lot that installs ten at once, simply because of the time lost moving equipment and crew. Milling into very old or alligatored pavement can add time, because we have to stabilize the area so the bump does not crumble with the surrounding surface.
Curbs vary significantly in price depending on material and site conditions. Concrete curb requires excavation, formwork, rebar where specified, and multiple trips for forming and stripping. Narrow urban sites in Pittsburgh with limited access often need more hand work and smaller equipment, which increases labor. If the grades are off and we need to regrade for proper drainage, that also adds cost but saves money in the long run by preventing standing water and early pavement failure.
Accessories like wheel stops, bollards, signage posts, and raised crosswalks add smaller line items but can increase or decrease total cost depending on how they are scheduled. When we coordinate these items with your paving or sealcoating work, you avoid extra mobilization fees. Precision Asphalt Pittsburgh is transparent about these factors. We break down our proposals by location and task so you can see what drives the total price and where adjustments can be made without sacrificing safety or durability.
Common Problems on Pittsburgh Lots and How We Fix Them
Local conditions in Pittsburgh create specific issues that good design and installation can prevent. One frequent problem is speed bumps that break apart at the edges after a couple of winters. This usually happens when bumps are simply laid on top of the existing surface without milling in or adequate compaction. Our cure for this is always the same: saw cut or mill a seat, clean and bond the surface, then compact in lifts with attention to the joint where new asphalt meets old.
Another issue is curbs pushed out of alignment by plows or truck tires. We reduce this risk by placing concrete curbs far enough back from driving lanes and allowing room for plow blades. Where curbs must be close to traffic, like tight urban parking strips, we may specify thicker sections, doweled reinforcement, or protective bollards at vulnerable corners. We also advise property managers to show plow contractors the new layout and to avoid stacking snow directly on fresh curbing.
Poor drainage is a chronic problem in older Pittsburgh lots. Water runs along curbs, finds a low spot, and sits there, eating away at the asphalt in winter. When we install curbs or raised features, we evaluate the whole drainage pattern instead of one spot. Sometimes that means adding relief cuts in the curb, adjusting inlet elevations, or building small asphalt swales so water actually reaches the storm system. Correcting this at the time of curb and accessory work costs much less than full-depth patching later.
We also see a lot of hardware installed without thinking about snow and ice. Short bollards that disappear in snowbanks, speed bumps with no markings, or dark crosswalks in shaded areas all create winter hazards. Our standard packages for speed bump installation and related accessories include options for reflective paint, high visibility stripes, and durable markers that still show when conditions are poor.
Our Process and What to Expect From Precision Asphalt Pittsburgh
Working with Precision Asphalt Pittsburgh on speed bumps, curbs, and asphalt accessories is straightforward. We begin with a site visit where we measure lane widths, traffic volumes, slopes, and drainage paths. You tell us your main concerns, like cut through traffic, pedestrian safety, or truck damage near docks. From there, we develop a layout that shows exact speed bump locations, curb lines, and accessory placements.
Before we schedule work, we coordinate around your operations. For busy retail or medical sites in Pittsburgh, we often divide the lot into phases so you keep traffic flowing while we work. We can shift work to off peak hours or weekends when needed. You will know in advance which areas will be blocked off and for how long so you can communicate with tenants or customers.
Installation day starts with traffic control and clear barricades. We then handle milling, excavation, and forming for curbs or bumps, followed by asphalt placement or concrete placement. Compaction and finish work are next, then striping, painting, and installation of wheel stops or bollards. Most small to medium lots can be completed in one or two days of active work, not counting concrete cure time if used.
After the job is complete, we walk the site with you and point out joints, curing areas, and any short term restrictions, such as keeping heavy trucks off new work for a specified period. We also discuss ongoing maintenance like when to restripe speed bumps, how to watch for early edge wear, and what to tell plow operators. Our goal is not just to install speed bumps and curbs, but to make sure they continue to do their job in real Pittsburgh conditions for many years.
