Environmentally friendly roadworks

An innovative road reconstruction scheme is currently taking place on a Cumbrian road, which is good for the environment and for the council's budget. 

Three sections of the A685 between Tebay and Newbiggin are being reconstructed with 80% of the excavated material from the old road being recycled and put back to form the base of the new surface. The remaining 20% will be used in another scheme, with nothing going to waste. A total of 1km of road is being constructed as part of the quarter of a million pound project, which is being carried out for the County Council by Cumbria Contract Services. 

Councillor Tim Stoddard, County Council spokesman for Cumbria Contract Services, is visiting The Sidings Industrial Estate, Tebay, where the recycling takes place, on Wednesday, March 4th, at 2pm, to see first hand the work in progress. 

Councillor Stoddard said:   

"This is an environmentally friendly project which will be good for the environment and for the council's budget. Road reconstruction using recycled materials is fairly new in the UK and I am pleased Cumbria Contract Services have been able to use it on this occasion. The final running surface, which is the only quarried material required, is also environmentally friendly providing low traffic noise and reduced spray. The process is also £20,000 cheaper than using traditional materials, saving the county council money." 

The method used means that the existing road is excavated, the road materials screened, graded, mixed with bitumen, returned to the road and then laid in the traditional way. It is then compacted with road rollers. The recycling for this project is taking place at the Sidings Industrial Estate, Tebay. Recycling close to the site also reduces the mileages travelled by heavy wagons, thus reducing the damage to other Cumbrian roads. The project, which is part of an ongoing scheme to reconstruct this stretch of road, is due to finish in early March.