EDMONTON, Alta. — The Province of Alberta is expanding a pilot project that involves incorporating recycled tires into an asphalt mix which is used to pave highways.

Asphalt rubber is a mixture of traditional asphalt and recycled tire crumbs. Surfaces that are paved with the mixture have proven to have a longer life than traditional road surfaces while requiring less repair work. The surface material has a greater resistance to cracking and rutting and provides better traction, according to research. It also reduces road noise by up to 50 per cent.

Alberta is half way through a pilot project that involves the use of asphalt rubber for roads. While the benefits are clear, the harsh Canadian winters have taken their toll on the compound which is stressed due to the large number of freeze-thaw days in the province.

Recently a seminar on asphalt rubber was held in Edmonton, drawing attendees from as far away as Arizona. Asphalt rubber is one use of recycled tires collected under the province’s tire recycling program which has resulted in more than 23 million scrap tires being recycled.