Where the Rubber is the Road

TRANSPORTATION/PUBLIC WORKS -Where the Rubber is the Road

Motorists in Pictou County will be driving on Nova Scotia's first rubberized asphalt this summer.

A contract has been awarded for a pilot project using recycled rubber on a 3.3-kilometre section of Granton Road.

"We expect to see reduced cracking and a longer lasting road surface from this blend of rubber and asphalt," said Ron Russell, Minister of Transportation and Public Works. "It's also a potentially low-cost and environmentally friendly way of solving the problem of discarded tires."

The Department of Transportation and Public Works and Michelin in Pictou County are working together on the project. Michelin will provide the recycled passenger tire rubber and consultants; the government of Nova Scotia will pay for the bulk of the contract.

The $569,000 contract was awarded to S.W. Weeks Construction Ltd. Work is to be completed by Aug. 31.

Rubberized asphalt is expected to be more durable than conventional asphalt treatment, and better able to withstand cracking. The product is used across North America.