The Missouri Department of Transportation says that practicing the three “Rs” – reduce, reuse, recycle – has its benefits.
According to MoDOT, it’s good for the environment, and it allows MoDOT to stretch available resources to counter rising material and labor costs.
Last year, MoDOT saved taxpayers $17.5 million by using recycled components like roof shingles and recycled pavement in 3.2 million tons of new asphalt pavement.
The $17.5 million savings is equivalent to improving more than 384 miles of two-lane roadway with a thin overlay, according to Jonathan Varner, MoDOT intermediate materials specialist.
Over the past five years, MoDOT has used 4.2 million tons of recycled material in hot-mix asphalt roadway projects. Additionally in 2017, MoDOT also used 31,000 tons of recycled concrete, steel/aluminum and timber.