Major Road Projects Victoria has laid 400 tonnes of crumb rubber asphalt on the Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road Upgrade.
The team recently laid the crumb rubber asphalt along a 400-metre stretch between Loch Street and Marklin Street in Cranbourne.
Crumb rubber asphalt is made in part from used car and truck tyres.
Major Road Projects Victoria Program Director Marc Peterson said giving a second life to used tyres was another way the Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road Upgrade was innovating and excelling in sustainability.
“Between Loch and Marklin streets, we’ve laid 400 tonnes of crumb rubber asphalt, with this asphalt providing a strong, flexible alternative to traditional mixes while decreasing the amount of rubber heading to landfill,” he said.
It’s not the first time the innovation has been used in road projects and upgrades, with crumb rubber rolled out as part of the M80 Upgrade (Sydney to Edgars roads) in Melbourne’s north, Stage 2 of the Monash Freeway Upgrade following a trial of the use of crumb rubber on metropolitan roads on a section of East Boundary Road in Bentleigh East in 2020.
Tyre stockpiles can pose a serious fire and pollution risk to the community and the environment so repurposing old tyres offers a sustainable solution and prevents them from becoming an environmental hazard and sitting in landfill.
Crumb rubber is already being used to enhance the performance of playing surfaces including sports fields, as well as running tracks and equestrian surfaces.
The use of crumb rubber in road projects and upgrades forms part of the Recycled First Policy, a Victorian Government commitment to boost the use of recycled and reused materials in infrastructure projects across the state.
Originally scheduled for completion in mid-2025, major works on the Narre Warren-Cranbourne Road Upgrade are set for completion in August, a year ahead of schedule.
