What's Driving Asphalt prices UP?

摘要

While motorists and truckers are reeling from the shock of skyrocketing gas and diesel fuel prices, others are deeply concerned over the cost of a related commodity - asphalt, the residue of crude oil distillation and the glue that binds together the road surfaces that vehicles ride on. Contractors, public works officials and others who build and maintain the nation's highways and streets are struggling with the steepest price rise in memory for this key pavement ingredient. As an illustration, the price for performance-graded PG64-28 asphalt binder on the East Coast market climbed from $180 per ton in April 2004 to $422 per ton in April 2008, according to the Asphalt Weekly Monitor produced by Po-ten Partners Inc. And this was the price at the terminal. Customers such as hot mix asphalt (HMA) suppliers must pay additional costs to have the material delivered to their facilities, and are forced to charge more for the mix they supply to paving contractors and highway officials for road construction and maintenance projects.