The Environmental Council of the States (ECOS)

Sustainable Materials Management Project Inventory

County Road 607 Rubber Tire Upcycling

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) partnered with the Dickinson County Road Commission and Michigan Technological University to test an unusual asphalt mix of pieces of old rubber tires on County Road 607 to see if it could hold up in harsh climate.Three 3,300-foot sections of road were paved for comparison and testing: conventional hot mix asphalt base top layer, engineered crumb rubber hot mix asphalt base with conventional top layer, and hot mix base with engineered crumb rubber as both the base and top layers. The hope was that the rubberized asphalt would not only prove smoother, quieter and longer lasting than traditional asphalt but could also be made economically.

Learn more about the project

How was the Project Started?

TBD

When was the Project Started?

2019

When was the Project Completed, or is it Ongoing?

The project is ongoing. Roadwork was completed in June 2019, but the road will be monitored for 10 years to determine how well the material holds up to weather.

What are the Results to Date?

So far, Michigan reports the material has performed well. Lab experiements performed at MTU show increased resistence both to rutting during hot temperatures and cracking during cold weather.

What are the Resources Needed, including Time, Cost, Etc.?

The project was partially funded with a $650,000 grant from EGLE, and an additional $40,000 was needed to add one foot of paved shoulder on the two-mile project. This helped establish a 2-foot paved shoulder bike path which drew in $30,000 from the MI DNR Iron Belle Trail Grant, $10,000 from the Dickinson Trail Network, and $8,000 from the MI DNR IBT grant for signs along the route. The project utilized over 3,600 scrap tires to pave the three sections of County Road 607.