“Pilot Project uses 100% recycled material on highway repair
Caltrans repaved a section of Highway 162 in Oroville last week using recycled asphalt pavement and liquid plastic made with single-use, plastic bottles, which marks the first time the department has paved a road using 100 percent recycled materials.
The pilot project features work on three lanes of a 1,000-foot highway segment, and the department is testing the material for later use throughout the state since a one-mile segment of pavement using this treatment will recycle 150,000 plastic bottles.
‘This pilot project underscores the department’s commitment to embracing innovative and cost-effective technologies while advancing sustainability and environmental protection efforts,’ said Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin.
The ‘plastic’ roadway has been found in previous tests to be more durable and last two to three times longer than traditional hot-mixed asphalt pavement. This pilot will be the first test on a state highway.
‘California has set ambitious goals for recycling and other environmental priorities, and meeting them requires innovative and cost-effective solutions,’ said Senator Ben Hueso, who has advocated for Caltrans to test this material. ‘Using waste plastic that was otherwise destined for a landfill will not only reduce the cost of road repair and construction but also increase the strength and durability of our roads. As a leader on environmental justice issues, California is uniquely positioned to transform the transportation industry once again by using this new technology that could revolutionize the way we look at recycled plastic.'”
View the whole story here: https://www.smdp.com/caltrans-repaves-roadway-with-recycled-plastic-bottles/195028