Recycled glass, rubber and plastic will be used as part of the Warrnambool City Council’s upcoming Road Rehabilitation Program.
Locally recycled glass has been used successfully in Warrnambool since 2020, with sites this year to include recycled plastic as well as rubber from old tyres in the asphalt and sprayed seal wearing courses.
Approximately 2km of roads will be rehabilitated over the five week program, which begins on October 25.
Roads include Bromfield Street (Botanic – Donovans), Rooneys Road (Braithwaite – Raglan), Hopetoun Road (Macpherson – Crawley) and Walsh Road (Railway – Braithwaite).
The works include full pavement rehabilitation with foamed bitumen stabilisation of the crushed rock base layer and a new asphalt overlay.
Warrnambool Mayor Cr Vicki Jellie said that like many Councils in Australia, Warrnambool was looking at new and innovative ways to reduce their environmental impact by finding new uses for old materials.
“Our roads projects are one area in particular where we can make use of a significant volume of recycled materials,” she said.
“Last year, we used the equivalent of more than 360,000 glass bottles on our roads.
“This year, we’re expecting to use a similar volume of recycled glass as well as approximately 440 tyres and plastic predominantly from old car parts.“These are exciting new developments in the construction industry, and a lot of research has gone into their efficacy at a national and international level.”
A different treatment will be used on each road. All will use approved and certified products that meet Council’s quality assurance requirements, and Council will be monitoring all four roads going forward to see which treatments works best for local conditions.
Roads included in the program will operate with alternating lane closures for the majority of the works period. Motorists can expect delays, and are advised to avoid the roads if possible.