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Troup County Partners with The Ray to Identify Optimal Asphalt Mix for Tom Hall Parkway

Troup County, Georgia and The Ray are excited to announce that the Tom Hall Parkway paving project will use recycled tires mixed into the asphalt to increase road durability and reduce road noise. The project will cover four lanes spanning one mile and use 3,280 tons of “rubberized” asphalt paving mix using rubber from scrap tires. The reuse of scrap tires reduces public health dangers such as tire fires and increased breeding grounds for mosquitos carrying disease.

Adding recycled tires to an asphalt mix comes at a 1.5% upfront cost increase, but extends the safe, useful life of the pavement by 15 to 20 percent.

This project is one of the first in the area. “With so many great things happening in Troup County, it is important for us to show our support for The Ray,” said Troup County Chairman Patrick Crews. “By using the recycled tire product in this road project, we are making two powerful statements. First, helping our environment by the use of this product is important to our citizens and this community. Second, The Ray is putting Troup County on the map around the world in their efforts to transform I-85. Since the Tom Hall Parkway is adjacent to the interstate and will be the gateway to our new Great Wolf development, Troup County Government is recognizing the importance of both projects to our community and state.”

The Ray is excited about this project and its potential as a reference point for the 2019 scheduled repaving of The Ray. “Quiet, durable and safe roads are just one of our missions on The Ray. We are taking discarded tires and converting them into road materials that can improve our environmental footprint,” said Harriet Anderson Langford, Founder and President of The Ray, “This crumb rubber paving project will benefit our community.”

The Tom Hall Parkway will be two miles long and cost $6 million. Paving is scheduled to start in August and be completed a few weeks later.

About The Ray

The Ray is a proving ground for the evolving ideas and technologies that will transform the transportation infrastructure of the future, beginning with the corridor of road that is named in memory of Ray C. Anderson (1934-2011), a Georgia native who became a captain of industry and was recognized as a leader in green business when he challenged his company, Interface, Inc., to pursue zero environmental footprint. Chaired by Ray’s daughter Harriet Langford, The Ray is an epiphany of the Ray C. Anderson Foundation.

About Troup County

Since its creation by the State Legislature in 1826, Troup County has honed a worthy reputation as a center for commerce and a community of fair-minded people seeking to improve the lives of its citizens. This commitment to residents and passion for excellence has catapulted Troup County forward for close to two centuries. With a population of 68,000, Troup County continues a tradition of striving to ensure quality lifestyles for all who live here. With Troup County’s bicentennial less than two decades away, county leaders work with leaders of Troup’s three cities to continue a legacy of opportunity and optimism for all who make Troup County their home. Learn more at http://www.troupcountyga.org.