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KIRKSVILLE, MO -- For Friday’s Facebook Story of the day many of you wanted to know what decides whether a road is paved in concrete or asphalt.

While concrete and asphalt are comparable, it really depends on the type of project. And the biggest factor in choosing which one all comes down to money.

“It depends on the project, partially. Different types of projects work better with concrete or asphalt. If its an overlay project versus some concrete repair. For a lot of projects, we do a process where we do alternate bidding where we develop a plan that can be used for either asphalt or concrete. This increases our competition for our bids, helps us get a better price. So sometimes it really depends on the contractors that bid on the job and which one better fits their business,” said MODOT North Area Engineer Amy Crawford.

MODOT does do their own repairs when it comes to small projects such as replacing sections of concrete, small resurfacing sections, and pot holes. Other factors that can determine which materials are used include what type of pavement factory is closest to the construction site.

Outside of MODOT, cities and businesses generally follow the same procedure. Generally asphalt is more widely used in parking lots and city streets because it is easier to lay and, generally, cheaper.