Zoe Moffatt
Major Road Projects Victoria is helping pave a sustainable future by laying asphalt containing recycled household waste in the Sunbury Road Upgrade.
The upgrade has resurfaced road sections between Bulla-Diggers Rest Road and Jackson’s Creek with up to 40 per cent recycled materials, Major Road Projects announced on June 21.
This has diverted more than 18,000 tonnes of waste from landfill, and it is estimated 10 Victorian jobs are created for every 10,000 tonnes of waste material kept out of landfill.
Major Road Projects Victoria program services and engineering director Alexis Davison said this recycling will help to reduce the carbon footprint of projects while creating jobs.
“It’s great to see Victoria leading the way in recycled and reuse initiatives,” Ms Davison said
“[This will keep] tonnes of problematic waste out of landfill and significantly [reduce] the carbon footprint of projects – as well as creating jobs and investment across Melbourne’s north-west.”
The sustainable asphalt product incorporates recycled glass sand, and reclaimed asphalt pavement, which is manufactured by Alex Fraser at its new asphalt plant in Epping.
Demand for Alex Fraser’s sustainable construction materials has increased, with the company supplying more than 465,000 tonnes of its green roads products into Victoria’s Big Build in the last year.
Alex Fraser managing director Peter Murphy said Victoria is finding practical ways to use recycled products in large volumes.
“The Sunbury Road Upgrade is the latest example of how Victoria is finding practical ways to use recycled products in huge volumes to build quality, greener infrastructure,” he said.
Green roads construction material has been used across more than 50 Victorian major infrastructure projects, with more planned, including; Epping Road, Lathams Road, Mickleham Road, Pound Road West and Hall Road Upgrades.
A number of level crossing removal projects and rail projects in Victoria have also used green roads construction material.
