Asphalt Paving in Orinda, CA

Asphalt paving in Orinda deals with more water and more private roads than almost anywhere else in the area. Orinda averages about 30.53 inches of precipitation a year, roughly half again as much as Walnut Creek, and sits at about 495 feet among oak-covered hills. At a 2018 City Council meeting, residents said there were 29 miles of private roads in Orinda, and the City maintains only public ones. Those roads, and the steep driveways off them, are where most of our Orinda work happens.

Private roads

A private road serving several homes carries garbage trucks, delivery vans and fire apparatus. It needs a heavier base and asphalt section than a driveway, a crown or cross-slope, and working ditches and culverts. We map the road's condition, propose a phased plan, and break the price down by section so neighbors can share it under their road agreement.

Water management

With more than 30 inches of rain a year, drainage is the main design problem. Blocked culverts and ditches send water across the pavement and under its edges. We clean or replace culverts, reshape ditches and add berms or curbs to keep water where it belongs.

Steep driveways

Many Orinda driveways are steep and narrow. We compact in short sections, add sand to sealcoat for traction, and plan trench drains at garages that sit below the road.

City rules

Orinda's municipal code (section 12.08.010) requires an encroachment permit to encroach into the public right-of-way, and emergency work must be followed by a permit application within three days. Work on private roads themselves is generally outside that, but connections to public streets are not.

History

Orinda incorporated in 1985. The Moraga Adobe, built in 1841, is described as the oldest building in the East Bay, and year-round residence grew after the Caldecott Tunnel opened in 1937.

Typical Orinda projects

We see three common situations in Orinda. First, private roads where several households share maintenance, often with failing culverts, broken shoulders and potholes in the wheel paths. Second, steep driveways from the road down to a garage, where water collects at the garage door every winter. Third, older driveways under oaks, lifted by roots and cracked across. Each has a different fix: phased reconstruction and drainage for roads, trench drains and regrading for steep driveways, and careful root work and rebuilding for tree-damaged ones. Orinda's population grew 10.6 percent from 2010 to 2020, to 19,514, so newer homes and remodels also bring new driveways.

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