Governor Recognizes TDA Road Fix

A segment of County State Aid Highway 5 has plagued Minnesota’s Fillmore County for 30 years. Underlying soil and rock formations caused slides that were dangerous for the traveling public, according to the county’s engineering staff. In 2020, the county employed a remedy that drew the attention of Governor Walz’ office.

Governor Tim Walz commended the team responsible for the innovative design and installation of tire-derived aggregate (TDA) as a key ingredient for fixing the road issues.

Tire-derived aggregate was used in a land bridge on CSAH 5 to provide a lightweight fill material to lessen the load and provide a water drainage system. The county is optimistic that this fix will stick, according to County Commissioner Duane Bakke.

“We have struggled with this short section of road for 20 years and have spent a lot of dollars on at least two former projects in an attempt to control the underlying dirt slide that causes the blacktop to break up and the roadway to be a driving hazard,” Commissioner Bakke said. “The idea of using tire-derived aggregate to stabilize the area is hopefully the final solution.”

The TDA was supplied by TDA Manufacturing, Isanti, MN, a division of First State Tire Recycling. Monte Niemi, CEO, patented the product decades ago and has been a champion of educating the construction and environmental industries on the benefits of using TDA. With more than 350 projects completed, Niemi sees a bright future.

“One of the many values tire-derived aggregate brings is its filtration factor,” Niemi told the board members. “As water trickles through, the TDA acts like a sponge grabbing hold of things we don’t want in our drinking water or lakes, like some of the pesticides, nitrates, phosphorus, organic compounds, and heavy metals.”

© Scrap Tire News, June 2021