The Adair County Fiscal has been awarded funding for a thin rubber-modified asphalt (RMA) overlay project on West Egypt Road. This innovative RMA overlay consists of a new layer of rubber-modified asphalt applied over an existing solid foundation asphalt surface. If you are traveling in the Egypt community of Adair County in the coming days you’ll notice that there is a fresh new surface on West Egypt Rd. Gaddie-Shamrock won the bid to apply this material in Adair County and is laying this specialized rubber-modified asphalt today!
Rubber-modified asphalt contains rubber from recycled waste tires. The application of RMA can reduce road noise, increase road life and reduce long-term maintenance costs. The use of RMA also advances the Energy and Environment cabinet’s goal of promoting the development of Kentucky markets for recycled waste tires and reducing the problem of illegal tire dumping.
The cabinet will perform short-term and long-term monitoring to assess the effectiveness of the rubber-modified asphalt projects. As a condition of the grant funding, Adair County’s Fiscal Court agrees to pay for the application of an equivalent area of conventional asphalt overlay to allow for comparison between conventional and rubber-modified asphalt. By applying both the RMA on West Egypt Road and conventional asphalt on Snake Creek Rd., tracking the effectiveness of the RMA will be an accurate comparison because both sections will experience the same weather conditions and approximately the same traffic flow.
Funding for this grant comes from the Kentucky Waste Tire Trust Fund, which receives funding from every new passenger tire sold in the commonwealth. In addition to providing funding for the development of markets for recycled waste tires, the fund also supports waste tire collection events, tire pile clean-ups, and grants for counties to manage waste tires. Adair County is fortunate to participate in each of these events and the Fiscal Court is excited to be included in the rubber-modified asphalt project as well.
