Asphalt Paving in Mill City, Oregon: 2026 Cost & Service Guide

Asphalt Paving in the Santiam Canyon

Mill City straddles the Marion and Linn county line where the North Santiam River cuts through the canyon, with Highway 22 running right through the heart of town. This is steep, forested country at elevation, and the paving challenges here are not the same as a flat Willamette Valley lot. You get real winters, freeze-thaw cycles, heavy seasonal rain, and a lot of properties on grades that demand careful drainage. On top of that, the 2020 Beachie Creek Fire reshaped a large part of the canyon, and rebuild work has kept demand for new driveways, access roads, and site paving steady ever since.

Cojo Excavation & Asphalt serves Mill City and the surrounding canyon from our Willamette Valley base, which is a short run up Highway 22. We pave residential driveways and small-commercial lots to a spec that holds up to canyon conditions, not valley-floor shortcuts that crack the first hard winter.

Why Canyon Paving Is Different

Asphalt that lasts in Mill City starts below the surface. Three local factors drive how we build a job here.

• Freeze-thaw at elevation — Water that gets into the base freezes, expands, and lifts the asphalt. Cracks open, and the cycle accelerates each winter. The fix is a properly compacted, free-draining aggregate base and good surface drainage, not just thicker asphalt.
• Slope and drainage — Many canyon driveways climb a grade. Water has to be directed off the pavement, or it will undermine the base and wash material out. We grade and crown the surface so runoff sheds cleanly.
• Heavy rain and forest debris — The North Santiam corridor gets soaked through the wet months. Standing water and organic buildup both shorten pavement life, so edge drainage and a slight pitch matter more here than almost anywhere in the valley.

The full process and the variables that move the price are covered in our asphalt paving cost in Oregon guide.

Industry Baseline Pricing for Asphalt Paving

We do not quote a firm price without seeing the site, and you should be skeptical of any contractor who does. What we can give you is the industry baseline ranges that the national market reports, with the clear caveat that real canyon projects with sub-base work, drainage, or haul distance frequently land above these numbers.

Industry baseline ranges. Actual cost depends on thickness, sub-base condition, access, grade, and haul distance to Mill City.

Scope	Industry Baseline Range
New asphalt driveway	$4–$8 per square foot
Asphalt overlay (resurface)	$2–$5 per square foot
Small commercial lot paving	$3–$7 per square foot
Full removal and replacement	$5–$10 per square foot
Aggregate base prep	$1–$3 per square foot

A typical 600-square-foot canyon driveway, built new with proper base and drainage, will run well into the thousands. Haul distance to Mill City and the grade of your site both factor in. Pairing the paving with any needed excavation and site prep in one mobilization is the most cost-effective way to do it.

Wildfire Rebuild and New Access

A meaningful share of paving work in the canyon since 2020 has been tied to rebuilding. Properties cleared by the Beachie Creek Fire often need a fresh driveway approach, a new access road, or a paved pad once the structure is back up. These jobs frequently start with excavation, grading, and base work before any asphalt is laid, which is why we handle paving and site prep together. If you are rebuilding, getting the access and drainage right the first time saves you from tearing it out later.

Driveway vs. Small Commercial Paving

Most Mill City paving falls into two categories. Residential driveways are about durability, drainage, and a clean edge that holds up to the freeze-thaw cycle. Small-commercial work, like a shop lot or a few spaces in front of a business, adds traffic-load considerations and, often, striping and ADA layout once the surface is down.

For either, the foundation is what determines lifespan. A 2-inch mat over a soft, unprepared base will fail fast in canyon conditions. We build the base to handle the water and the freeze, then lay asphalt at a thickness that matches the load. If your existing driveway is already breaking up, our guide on the signs your driveway needs repaving helps you tell repair from replacement, and our driveway repair in Mill City page covers the lower-cost middle ground.

Permits, Access, and ODOT

Because Highway 22 is a state route, any work that touches the right-of-way, like a new driveway approach onto the highway, can trigger an ODOT access permit. County thresholds apply for larger site work. We know the local permit picture and handle it as part of the job, so you are not navigating Marion or Linn County requirements on your own.

Why Property Owners in Mill City Call Cojo

Crews that work the Highway 22 corridor are limited, and not all of them build for the canyon. We bring valley-grade equipment and an honest assessment: if your base needs work, we say so, because cutting that corner is how a driveway fails in two winters instead of lasting twenty years. The drive from our base up the canyon is routine for us.

See our completed paving and site work on the portfolio page. For neighboring valley pricing context, our asphalt paving in Salem guide covers the nearest major market we serve.