06-01-2016
Fleming County to be first in state to use new asphalt
(EDITORS NOTE: THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ITEM IN LAWRENCE COUNTY BECAUSE THE COUNTY’S ROADS ARE IN THE WORST SHAPE THEY HAVE BEEN IN DECADES. PERHAPS THIS COULD BE A POSSIBILITY TO HELP THE SITUATION)
FLEMINGSBURG — Fleming County has been chosen as one of the first counties in Kentucky to test an experimental form of asphalt. Judge-Executive Larry Foxworthy said he was contacted by the Kentucky Department of Transportation about the possibility of using Fleming County as a test county for use rubber-modified asphalt.
“My understanding of this is that the asphalt is made from recycled tires,” Foxworthy said. “It’s been used in other countries and a little in the U.S., but it’s not a widely used form of asphalt.”
According to Foxworthy, the KDOT will cover the costs of the asphalt to be laid in one of the county’s roadways, but the county will be responsible for maintaining and monitoring the asphalt.
“We have to maintain the roadway for a period of two years,” Foxworthy said. “We also have to monitor the asphalt and report back to the DOT.”
According to Foxworthy, the first road that will be paved with this new asphalt is a portion of Maxwell Road. When the paving will begin has not yet been decided.
“The final paperwork has yet to be completed,” he said. “Once that’s been done, we will know more about when the portion of roadway can be paved.”
According to Foxworthy, the rubber-modified asphalt has been proven to be successful in other countries, such as Australia, where approximately 20 percent of roadways are paved with the material.
Foxworthy said he is looking forward to using the new asphalt.
“This is going to give us a chance to have some old, gravel roads paved,” he said. “It’s going to be interesting to see how this will go. This could lead to us using more of this type of asphalt in the future.”
Benefits of Rubberized Asphalt
* Reduces Reflective Cracking in Asphalt Overlays
* Reduces Maintenance Costs
* Improves Resistance to Cracking in New Pavements
* Improves Resistance to Rutting in New Pavements
* Increases Pavement Life
* Improves Skid Resistance
* Decreases Noise Levels
* Beneficially Uses 500-2,000 scrap tires per lane mile
By Christy Hoots
The Ledger Independent
