For Immediate Release

LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. - The Kansas City District of the Missouri Department of Transportation takes the phrase "reduce, reuse and recycle" quite literally. The department recently used an innovative road recycling process known as hot-in-place recycling to resurface portions of I-29. The 18-mile job, by Ideker Inc., saved taxpayers more than $1 million just by using this alternative paving method.

Resurfacing portions of I-29 is one of the many projects in Missouri under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - an effort that to-date has generated more than 8,000 jobs across the state.

The hot-in-place process includes heating the old road to more than 300ºF, raking the old asphalt, grinding it into smaller pieces, mixing it with a road tar, immediately laying it back onto the road then topping with a thin overlay. It is an especially effective option for low-cost maintenance to remove cracks, ruts, and low areas.

"While a bit slower than traditional ‘mill and fill' road resurfacing, this process uses 100 percent of old asphalt. There is literally no waste," said Perry Allen, MoDOT District Construction and Materials Engineer.

MoDOT in Kansas City was the first to use hot-in-place recycling in 2006, again to resurface more than 30 miles of I-29.

This effort is part of MoDOT's overall recycling effort. In fact, in 2007, the department used more than three million tons of asphalt containing recycled materials. Additional recycling efforts include:

• MoDOT has used enough recycled tires in its construction projects over the past two years to equip 20,000 cars.
• About 70 percent of state highway signs are produced from reclaimed material.
• Each year, MoDOT recycles more than 7,000 light bulbs -- enough to light 155 homes.
• When striping Missouri's highways, MoDOT uses 10 million pounds of recycled glass beads.

District 4 maintains 3,600 miles of road in eight counties that includes Cass, Clay, Henry, Jackson, Johnson, Lafayette, Platte and Ray, which encompasses many major and minor road construction projects. Opportunities to reduce cost, reuse materials and protect the environment - all while serving the driving public - are always a priority. 

For more information or to check out the many ways MoDOT recycles or any construction projects, visit MoDOT's Web site at www.modot.org/kansascity.