Asphalt Driveway Paving in Monona, WI
Monona sits on the southeastern shore of Lake Monona and is almost entirely surrounded by Madison, but it has governed itself since incorporating as a village in 1938, and it became a city in 1969. Its population jumped from 2,544 in 1950 to 8,178 in 1960, peaked at 10,420 in 1970 and stood at 8,624 in the 2020 census. That postwar surge dates much of the housing, so a typical paving question here is about replacing pavement on a long-established lot rather than building a first driveway.
The rule that shapes paving work most in Monona is at the curb. The city's driveway opening standards require the apron inside the street right-of-way to be built of concrete, while the private portion of a driveway may be concrete, asphalt or paver stones. An asphalt driveway job in Monona therefore stops at the right-of-way line, and any apron work alongside it is a separate concrete item under its own permit. The apron and approach page compares this with Madison's rules.
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Monona permits and conditions that affect paving
Any work in a Monona right-of-way, including curb and gutter, driveway aprons, sidewalks and streets, needs a right-of-way permit applied for at least two business days before work starts. Every contractor and subcontractor on the permit must file a signed, notarized affidavit of compliance, a Diggers Hotline locate with premarking is required first, and the applicant must request a final inspection from Public Works within 90 days of finishing. The permit closes only after that inspection is approved. The governing ordinance is Chapter 395-2 of the city code, on excavations in streets.
Openings are limited too. Monona caps a driveway opening at 30 feet wide, with larger openings approved case by case, and at no more than half of the lot's frontage. The curb head must be saw cut to the city's detail, or the whole curb and gutter removed and replaced with new concrete; breaking out part of a curb head with a jackhammer is not allowed. The weather follows the Madison airport record of about 87 freeze-thaw days a year, so the private asphalt portion still needs a well-compacted stone base, toward the 9-to-12-inch range WAPA gives poor soils where the ground is silty.
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Asphalt Paving Services Available in Monona
The same paving services reach Monona, under its own permit office:
See the full pricing guide for typical ranges.
Monona FAQs
Can a Monona driveway apron be asphalt to match the driveway?
Not inside the right-of-way. Monona's driveway opening standards, revised in 2009, require the apron within the street right-of-way to be concrete. Asphalt is allowed on the private part of the driveway, so the usual result is an asphalt driveway meeting a concrete apron at the right-of-way line. The joint between the two should be tight and level so water does not collect there and freeze.
How far ahead should a Monona right-of-way permit be requested?
The city asks for the application at least two business days before work begins, but that is the minimum. The Diggers Hotline locate has to be in place with the area premarked, and every contractor and subcontractor needs a notarized affidavit of compliance on file, which takes time to arrange. Building a week or more of lead time into the schedule avoids a crew standing idle.
How wide can a driveway opening be in Monona?
Thirty feet under the city's driveway opening standards, and never more than half of the lot's frontage, with wider openings considered case by case. On a narrow lot the frontage rule is usually the tighter limit: a lot with 50 feet of frontage can have at most a 25-foot opening. The curb must be saw cut or fully replaced, not broken out with a jackhammer.
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