Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Weighing the option of scrap tires for roadbeds

City considering using crumb rubber asphalt for roads

By Lisa Goudy


Scrap tires might have another use in the city.

City engineering technologist Marlin Stusek said the city plans to revisit the possibility of using crumb rubber asphalt for roadbeds in the city. Crumb rubber asphalt pavement is partially made with recycled tires.

“Recycling is always top priority, especially nowadays with everything going greener,” said Stusek. “Being able to use any kind of recycled materials for road surfaces, as long as it’s effective, is certainly something we would look at.”

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Sidebar: Province done several crumb rubber projects


Kirsten Leatherdale, provincial highways and infrastructure ministry spokesperson, said the province first used crumb rubber in 2009 on 227 kilometers of highway lanes. Every year since, the province has done some work, but no projects are planned for 2013 yet.

She said a section done in the Moose Jaw area was crumb rubber resurfacing on Highway 11 at Chamberlain a few years ago. She said it has contributed to noise reduction.

“We don’t use it everywhere. We use it where it fits for the project,” said Leatherdale. “Not every contractor has the equipment and the capability to do those projects so that’s another factor that we consider.”

She said crumb rubber requires a certain piece of equipment to melt the crumb rubber.
“(Contractors use) a big metal tank that blends the liquid asphalt and the crumb rubber and mixes them at a high temperature,” said Leaderdale. “(The tires are) taken out of a landfill and used in a productive way.”