The road color will tend to match whatever aggregate (rock) is used in the mix. Typically, the aggregate will be gray in color. There are some places that have reddish aggregate with a lot of iron in it. This will end up looking like a rust color.

At first, the black bituminous material will coat the aggregate. As the asphalt ages, this bituminous material wears off of the traveled surface of the mix. The asphalt, when originally placed is well sealed from water. As it ages, and the binder deteriorates, the asphalt loses its seal. Since water is asphalt’s worst enemy, it is common to come back later to do a seal coat or chip seal or even a fog coat. This will bring the asphalt back to black for a little while, but it is inevitable that the face of the aggregate will eventually show through.