Alabama Park boasts roads made with rubberised asphalt
The repaving at Lake Guntersville State Park was paid for in part by an $829,080 grant from ADEM to Alabama State Parks.
Officials with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management recently showed off newly resurfaced roads and parking areas at Lake Guntersville State Park paved with asphalt made from scrap tyres.
The repaving at the park using asphalt modified with rubber from ground-up tyres was paid for in part by an $829,080 grant from ADEM to Alabama State Parks. The money comes from the state’s Scrap Tire Fund administered by ADEM. One dollar from the sale of each tyre in the state goes into the fund, which is used to remove scrap tyres from illegal dumps along roadsides and other places and promote the recycling of discarded tyres.
ADCNR Commissioner Chris Blankenship said the new pavement is stronger, smoother and will last longer, thanks to its rubber composition.
“We were thrilled with the opportunity to resurface the roads and paved areas of the park with a material that will require less maintenance, hold up better in all kinds of weather conditions and greet park-goers with a more pleasant ride,” Blankenship said. “We are extremely grateful to ADEM for making this money available.”
The grant covered the costs of repaving access roads and parking areas for the lodge and campground store. State Parks put in an additional $500,000 to pave other roads in the park with the special asphalt.
ADEM Director Lance LeFleur said the paving at State Parks is an ideal demonstration project on how discarded tyres can be used for beneficial purposes.
“The best way to deal with old tyres is to find a beneficial alternative use, thereby creating a market for them. If scrap tyres had more value, fewer of them would be dumped and become environmental problems.”
LeFleur said that in addition to funding demonstration projects, the Scrap Tire Fund is also used to reimburse local governments for the costs of picking up discarded tyres along highways and clearing unauthorised tyre dumpsites.
Studies have shown that asphalt made with ground-up tyres has many advantages over traditional asphalt. In addition to lasting up to 50 per cent longer and being less prone to potholing and cracking, rubber-modified asphalt is quieter, reduces tyre wear, improves fuel mileage because of lower rolling resistance, and is safer due to better traction and reduced misting on wet roads.
Blankenship is sold. He said the parks system plans to use rubber-modified asphalt to repave roads at DeSoto State Park later this year.
Source: Alabama Political Reporter
