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I want to make a concrete walkway next to a blacktop driveway. enter image description here

This is on private property, and the total length of the walkway will be about 20 feet. I don’t want a curb, and I want the concrete to be at the same level as the blacktop for ease of snow-plowing.

Trouble is, the edge of the blacktop is not square; it’s a soft curve that fades into the ground (see above). If I dig out the soil next to the blacktop, put down a bed of gravel and pour concrete right up to the blacktop, the concrete will have a feather edge onto the blacktop which will soon flake off, leaving an ugly furrow. How should I deal with this?

My first thought is to take my worm-drive circular saw with a 7-1/4” abrasive blade for masonry and cut a square edge on the blacktop as deep as the blade will go. (I don’t have a pavement cutter.) I’ll finish the joint between the blacktop and concrete with a concrete edging tool.

Is there a better / easier way to make the transition from the soft edge of the blacktop to the concrete without renting a pavement cutter?

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  • You will go through many many blades and cause a lot of stress/were on your saw, if not down right kill it. I would rent the proper saw.
    – Alaska Man
    Commented Jul 6, 2020 at 17:29

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I have used a segmented blade to cut asphalt with a worm drive skill saw. this was a long time back I don’t remember if it was carbide , diamond or possibly flame sprayed (I don’t know what that coating is). when the blade got hot it smoked and I did not realize until later was filling the guard with hot tar, the blade had no problem making a similar length cut maybe a few feet longer but when my saw cooled down it was basically ruined, the tar became solid and froze my guard in place I did try for a few hours to heat and clean it but no matter how good it looked when it cooled the guard froze up. I ended up pulling the motor and tossing the guard. I have wiped out a few saws over my years and this one I did not even think would be so nasty. Just an FYI I might be inclined to purchase a garage sale special for a job like this it can do the job but I would not risk a good worm drive again.

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  • Good to know, thanks for that. I've used the worm drive with an abrasive blade to cut a concrete sidewalk, but never blacktop. I never thought of melting asphalt. You've saved my saw from a sticky fate!
    – MTA
    Commented Jul 6, 2020 at 21:24
  • That’s why I wanted to warn you I thought it would be like cutting concrete or bricks, I also cut sheet metal ferrous and aluminum with my skill saw other than the asphalt salt is the only other thing that has Really damaged my saws but the salt was recoverable. There may be other saw blades Available today I only remember for sure that it was A segmented blade.
    – Ed Beal
    Commented Jul 6, 2020 at 22:47
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You could set up a form for your concrete as normal for concrete work. Set it a few inches from the edge of your asphalt so you have room to un-form after the concrete is set.

Once the concrete is set you could back fill the space between the concrete and the asphalt with asphalt patch and tamp it down.

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I would pour the concrete to a nice square edge, then depending on the radius of that edge, I wouldn't worry about it at all.

If it's 1/4-1/2" radius, who cares. If it's 1-2" radius fill in the asphalt side with a sealer or patching to make a flush surface. If it's somewhere in between, make a judgement once the concrete has set up.

Depending on what you're using for snow plowing, even 1-2" might not be an issue. If you can live with it, you're done, if you can't, fill it.

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