Applications Open for Rubber-Modified Asphalt Grants

Application deadline is May 1, 2023

UPDATE:

“…Lawrence County is applying for a Rubberized Asphalt Grant. This grant would be used to resurface Lick Creek Rd beginning at the Jordan Center and ending at the red light of the RT 32 intersection. This grant would require the county to pave half the distance of the road with a standard asphalt mix and the other half with an asphalt mix and the addition of recycled rubber.  The grant would cover all the costs of the rubber added section of road and the county would be responsible for the standard asphalt section. These two sections of roads would be analyzed for a five year period to compare how they each have performed,”

— LAWRENCE CO. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY JUDGE/EXECUTIVE, VINCE DOTY

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FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 1, 2023) – Energy and Environment Cabinet Secretary Rebecca W. Goodman announced today that grant funding will be made available to county or metro-government entities for local road projects that utilize rubber-modified asphalt, which uses rubber from finely ground waste tires.

Applications must be received by May 1, 2023.

Lawrence County fiscal court voted last week to apply for both the rubberized asphalt and the crumb /tire material to use on local roads where applicable.

Officials in the judge’s office were not available for comment, but supplied a copy of the resolution passed Feb. 21 which shows the county’s intention to apply for the grants.

(See Resolution below)

“The division is excited to offer these grants to Kentucky counties,” said Tammi Hudson, director of the Division of Waste Management. “We believe rubber-modified asphalt can provide several benefits, including promoting a cost-effective, performance-enhancing additive for county paving projects, and improving end-use markets for recycled tires which can lead to better waste tire management across the Commonwealth.”

Counties or metro governments can apply for funding for either chip seal or thin asphalt overlay projects. Chip seal is a pavement surface treatment that combines one or more layers of liquid asphalt with one or more layers of fine aggregate. Asphalt overlay consists of a new layer of asphalt applied over an existing road surface. Rubber-modified asphalt can reduce road noise and long-term maintenance costs and increase the life of the roadway.

The money for these projects comes from the Kentucky Waste Tire Trust Fund, which receives $2 from every new tire sold in the Commonwealth. In addition to promoting the development of markets for recycled waste tires, the fund also provides monies for waste tire collection events, tire dumpsite clean-ups, and grants for counties to manage waste tires.

The cabinet will be performing short-term and long-term testing to assess the effectiveness of rubber-modified asphalt in Kentucky. As a condition of the grant funding, counties will agree to pay for the application of conventional chip seal or thin overlay on roads in their counties with similar characteristics to allow for comparison between conventional and rubber-modified asphalt.

For more information, contact Darin Steen at (502) 782-6039 or darin.steen@ky.gov. You may also visit the division’s website at Grants | Recycling and Local Assistance