Road recycling project – environmental and economic benefits

The first “green” main road in the Dudley borough (near Birmingham, UK) is being created through a pioneering scheme which will use material recycled from old road surfaces.



The Dudley Express & Star reports that Dudley Council in partnership with Wrekin Construction is building an additional lane on the Dudley Southern Bypass for 300 metres from Castle Gate island towards the Flood Street roundabout.



It is part of a scheme to install traffic signals on the Castle Gate island. Recycled chippings and stones dug up from other roads projects in the borough, and processed to a heavy-duty specification, are being used for the surface.



The move will have huge environmental benefits and is estimated to reduce costs by up to 20 per cent.



The method has already been used in various schemes around the country but Dudley is taking it one step forward by using this trial to assess and evaluate the process for use on major roads used by large numbers of heavy goods vehicles. If successful it will be used on the current four-year project to reconstruct the principal route network across the borough.



The council’s spokesman for transportation Councillor John Woodall said: “Dudley Council is extremely committed to looking after the environment and I’m delighted with this latest scheme. “These works combined with the installation of the traffic signals on the roundabout will significantly improve the capacity of the Castle Gate junction and reduce delays.”



Principal resident engineer Francis Borg said recycled materials had already been used on other minor road projects in the borough in the last five years including Vicarage Road, Wollaston; Silver End Industrial estate, Brierley Hill; and Netherend Lane, Cradley. Once the recycled material is laid it will be assessed over the next few months and evaluated for use elsewhere. Work is being completed over the next two weeks with recycled material laid in the final week.