Board awards $7.8 million contract to pave rubberized asphalt on 23 miles of Valley freeways

More miles of Valley freeways will be paved with rubberized asphalt in the spring as part of an Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) program to provide quieter freeways and a resourceful use of old tires.

The State Transportation Board today (November 21) awarded a $7.8 million project to Meadow Valley Contractors, Inc., of Phoenix to add rubberized asphalt on 23 miles of Interstate 10, Loop 101 Pima and Price freeways and Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway.

ADOT says construction will begin in the spring to pave rubberized asphalt on the following sections of freeway:

• I-10 between 19th Avenue and Van Buren Street in downtown Phoenix.
• Loop 101 between 90th Street and McKellips Road in Scottsdale.
• Loop 101 between US 60 and Chandler Boulevard in Chandler, Mesa and Tempe.
• Loop 202 between Alma School Road and Gilbert Road in Mesa.
• Loop 202 between Val Vista Drive and Higley Road in Mesa.

Preliminary work to remove striping and prepare for the asphalt surfacing will begin in February. Crews will start adding the one-inch layer of rubberized asphalt in March and the paving will continue through June. Crews are expected to use weekend freeway closures to accomplish most of the paving.

The key ingredient in rubberized asphalt is crumb rubber, granules of shredded recycled tires. The crumb rubber is mixed with heated liquid asphalt and stones before being applied to the freeway as a one-inch surface coat.

The process recycles approximately 1,500 tires per lane for every mile that is paved with rubberized asphalt.

ADOT has worked with the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) and local communities to add rubberized asphalt to a majority of the Phoenix area freeway system.

Other projects will be awarded in the next two years to pave rubberized asphalt on sections of I-10, I-17, Loop 101 and Loop 202.