The Andrews Labor Government is paving the way for road maintenance innovation in the north east, trialling locally-processed recycled asphalt on a section of the Hume Freeway at Balmattum, near Euroa.
More than 2,100 tons of recycled road base product will be used in works to rebuild the south-bound lane on an 850-metre stretch of freeway.
The products used for the trial will be processed at the Wodonga Asphalt plant and equate to approximately 1 million recycled glass bottles, 746,000 plastic bags, 420 ton of reclaimed asphalt and 21,800 printer cartridges combined.
Performance testing of the recycled road surface has shown a significant improvement in the longevity of asphalt, increasing its resistance to cracking and enabling it to withstand heavy traffic for longer than traditional road surfaces.
An average of 6,500 vehicles travel on this section of the freeway each day, of which about 40 per cent are trucks.
Minister for Roads and Road Safety Ben Carroll said the $845,000 project is part of the government’s $85 million maintenance blitz across north east Victoria.
Works started on site yesterday and are expected to be completed within a week, weather depending.
During the 2020/21 road maintenance season, around 250 kilometres of road will be targeted as part of the government’s two-year, $425 million investment into rebuilding and resurfacing regional roads.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Roads and Road Safety Ben Carroll
“By diverting this waste from landfill and putting it into road projects like this, we’re taking the pressure off our precious natural resources.”
“We’re supporting regional communities and the local economy by keeping freight moving around critical transport links like the Hume.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes
“It’s fantastic to see local business from within the north east coming up with innovative solutions to road maintenance issues.”
“Not only will this new surface help us cut down on waste, it will also last longer than traditional asphalt – giving us more value for money in our road maintenance program.”
Reviewed 17 March 2021