Tuesday, January 23, 2024–11:13 a.m.
-David Crowder, WRGA News-
It may be the ultimate example of recycling–old tires being used in asphalt to pave streets and highways.
Floyd County has been awarded a grant from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division for smart mix paving, which has a percentage of ground-up tires as part of the aggregate. The mix will be used in a test paving of about six-tenths of a mile on Terhune Road, hopefully in the spring.
Floyd County Manager Jamie McCord told the Rome-Floyd Solid Waste Committee on Tuesday that it appears to be a great use for recycled tires by putting them in a place that is beneficial for the community.
“It can potentially dispose of 500 or 600 tires per mile,” he said. “There are some improvements to the asphalt pavement as well with skid resistance and hopefully longevity with the flexibility of the pavement, so we are looking forward to that. The grant is covering the additional setup, additional plant modifications, and the crumbed rubber that goes in.”
The smart mix can also be used for trails.
“We have a couple of trail systems,” McCord said. “The city has the Mt. Berry connection that’s underway now, and we will hopefully have Lindale later this year. So that’s something that could be under consideration. Douglas County actually got a trail approved as part of this grant cycle.”
The aggregate will come from Liberty Tire, which gets tires from the scrap tire collection events held in Floyd County, according to Floyd County Public Works Director Michael Skeen.