A new technique to recycle roadways is being used as part of the Bridge Inn Road upgrade in Doreen.
Major Road Projects Victoria (MRPV) is using a foamed bitumen process which involves milling old roadway to rubble then mixing in foamed bitumen, created by injecting air and water into hot bitumen.
The mixed materials cure to produce a durable, flexible road pavement with properties like asphalt.
MRPV said foamed bitumen’s durability has allowed a reduced thickness of the roadway’s top layer of asphalt pavement, leading to further savings.
Along with the efficiencies achieved, recycling the old road reduces reliance on landfill, virgin materials and quarrying, MPRV said,
Major Road Projects Victoria program director Dipal Sorathia said the new way to recycle roads has multiple benefits.
“The foamed bitumen process helps us build durable, flexible road pavements while improving sustainability outcomes and reducing construction times. This benefits not only the project but also the local communities and all the users of the roads we upgrade with foamed bitumen,” he said.
The Bridge Inn Road upgrade is adding extra lanes in both directions between Plenty and Yan Yean roads.
Other improvements include intersection upgrades and the construction of safety barriers and shared walking and cycling paths.
The upgrade has also built a new bridge over Plenty River, with the existing 155-year-old heritage bridge being repurposed as a dedicated walking and cycling path.
