When you think of environmentally friendly practices, building roads and bridges might not pop into mind. Yet the Missouri Department of Transportation is giving back to the environment in a big way. Consider this:

Alternative Fuels

• MoDOT uses more ethanol and biodiesel fuel a year - three million gallons of E-85 and B20 - than all other state agencies combined. That's enough gas to drive a car to Mars and back.

Recycled Materials

• In 2007, MoDOT used more than three million tons of asphalt containing recycled material - about the weight of all the people in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Arkansas, Illinois, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Tennessee combined. 

• In the past four years, the agency has kept more than 3.6 billion pounds of waste from going to landfills.  That's equivalent to the amount of household waste generated in a year by the entire metropolitan St. Louis area.

• MoDOT has used enough recycled tires in its construction projects over the past two years to equip 20,000 cars.

• MoDOT has used enough recycled shingles in the past four years to roof 305 houses.

• MoDOT crews clean up more than 80,000 car tires – about 600 tons – that are left on state highways every year. These tires are ground up and used as fuel for power plants.

• About 70 percent of state highway signs are produced from reclaimed material, making the signs cheaper and faster to get.

• Each year, MoDOT recycles more than 7,000 light bulbs from traffic signals, street lights and office buildings - enough to light 155 homes.

• When striping Missouri’s highways, MoDOT uses 10 million pounds of recycled glass beads.

• In 2007, MoDOT sealed nearly 700 miles of roadway with cinders from coal burned to make electricity.

Wetlands/ Protected Species

• When designing projects MoDOT keeps sensitive species and habitats in mind. In 2007, 15 projects were completed using measures to ensure the safety of nine protected species.

• MoDOT replaced wetlands at a rate of three acres to one on projects built in 2007.

• MoDOT avoided impacting 12 historic resources on 2007 projects.

Energy Conservation

• Using LEDs in traffic signals saves about $1.2 million in utility costs each year.

• To conserve energy and paper, MoDOT has begun providing project plans via the Internet, a move that will save about $200,000 a year.

Natural Product Development

• MoDOT is testing soy-based paint to see how it works for highway striping.

• MoDOT is using an anti-icing product made from sugar beets to help keep roads clear and cut down on the amount of salt used.