(Troup County, Georgia – March 13, 2018) – This week, Troup County will complete the paving of the county’s first “rubber road” on the new Tom Hall Parkway. The project used over 32,000 pounds of recycled tire rubber (RTR) in the top layer or “wearing course” of the road, which represents the rubber taken from over 2,500 end of life passenger tires. The productive and profitable reuse of scrap tires into resilient, crack-resistant asphalt pavement reduces threats to community safety and public health that are inherent to illegal tire dumps, including dangerous tire fires and standing, fetid water that accommodates mosquito breeding.
Tom Hall Parkway was originally proposed in 2016 as a new connection in the LaGrange bypass system. In the later phases of the project design, The Ray identified and brought to county and city leadership the possibility of leveraging additional value by substituting a rubberized asphalt mix for the standard asphalt mix.
This advanced additive technology incorporates RTR directly into the asphalt mixture, thus reducing the volume of petroleum in the mix and extending the useful life of the pavement by 15 to 20 percent. The small upfront cost increase of RTR is easily returned in the immeasurable value of longer-lasting and more durable pavement that requires less maintenance over the life of the road.
“We did a lot of research,” said James Emery, Troup County Engineer, “It’s a high quality paving material that will provide better performance than the asphalt mix we typically use in resurfacing.”
“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,” said Harriet Anderson Langford, Founder and President 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.”
This project was the result from a partnership between the leaderships of Troup County and the City of LaGrange, The Ray, Liberty Tire Recycling, C.W. Matthews, and supported by the Georgia Department of Transportation. The project is funded by Troup County SPLOST.
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. Learn more at www.TheRay.org.
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 a decade 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.