Post date: 14-Aug-2019 15:50:35

Highways England in an effort to save money plus help the environment has laid a section of the south bound M1 between junctions 23-22 with a new trial asphalt compound partially made-up of rubber from disused tyres, and we have enough scrap tyre mountains in the UK.

Sustainable building materials firm Tarmac have developed this all new compound. EU rules prohibit tyres being used in landfill hence this used rubber is usually shipped to Asia and the Middle East to dispose of. Kuwait has one disposal site with over 7,000,000 tyres filling it! Tarmac estimates 750 tyres could be used in every kilometre of road surfaced with this new compound depending on the thickness applied.

This M1 trial will test the compounds durability on a very busy road and if successful could be rolled out across the UK. Saving money whilst helping our disposal environmental impact along with supporting technical innovation in playing a key role in improving the environmental performance of our roads. Fingers crossed this is a win, win for all aspects.

If they use mainly Michelin tyres over budget will that significantly increase the new roads surface longevity and shorten braking distances further?! Joke.

News Items < Back - Forward >