Pretred Brings Recycled Rubber Barriers to U.S. Roadways

Recent certification for use as a sustainable alternative to concrete barriers and a multiyear $11.2M grant from C3 Enterprise propel expansion and market growth for the Colorado recycled rubber products manufacturer.

In back-to-back announcements, Aurora, Colorado-based Pretred got official official certification for use of its Colorado Rubber Barrier on any road with speed limits up to 44 m.p.h. and was awarded an $11.2 million grant from the Colorado Circular Communities Enterprise (C3 Enterprise) to support expansion of its operations.

The new certification means carbon-intensive concrete barriers used on hundreds of thousands of miles on U.S. roadways could be replaced by this sustainable alternative, manufactured from end-of-life tires, Pretred said.

“Passing the rigorous process of certification for use on public roadways is a major step forward both for the company and the environment,” Pretred founder and CEO, Eric Davis, said. “Every road operator in every state now has the opportunity to significantly reduce their environmental impact by replacing their carbon-intensive concrete barriers with the safe, sustainable, and cost-effective alternative of our Colorado Rubber Barrier.”

Pretred’s high density safety barriers are already used on construction sites, in parking lots, at airports, and at event venues. The company’s new Colorado Rubber Barrier specifically designed for use on public roadways, is named in honor of the state and as a counter to the traditional concrete ‘Jersey Barrier’ designed by Jersey engineers in the 1950’s.

An independent Environmental Impact Assessment conducted by Boundless Impact Research and Analytics shows Pretred barriers have a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Footprint of -107g of CO2 equivalent, 283 percent lower than conventional concrete barriers.

Translated, that means one mile of barriers reduces carbon emissions by 2,750 tons. A standard 8ft Colorado Rubber Barrier is made using 100 waste tires and one mile of these barriers uses 65,000 (750 tons of) end-of-life tires.

Plastic barriers are also used in many circumstances. The manufacture of a plastic barrier typically generates 6 kg of CO2 per kg of product.

Pretred’s Colorado Rubber Barrier’s underwent rigorous testing to be certified for use on public roadways, showing them to be at least as safe as the commonly used alternatives.

The nationally recognized MASH (Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware) Standard Testing Method simulates the “worst practical conditions” by impacting the barrier with both a small car and a pickup truck traveling at 44 m.p.h.

The tests were carried out by Calspan, an independent provider of testing and technology. Calspan’s report notes that “the overall goal of a highway safety feature is to provide a forgiving roadway and roadside that reduces the risk of a serious crash when a motorist leaves the roadway, as well as towards bystander motorists and pedestrians”. Pretred’s Colorado Rubber Barriers were found to meet this goal.

The Circular Economy Development Center recommended the project after spending more than a year assessing Pretred’s business model, partnerships, financial viability and product safety. Pretred’s expansion is estimated to turn four million scrap tires from across Colorado into 30,000 barriers each year.

The barriers are designed to last for decades and are safe to use on roadways (TL-2), construction sites, erosion and flood control, pedestrian paths, landscaping design and parking, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) says. The barriers can be processed back into crumb rubber at end-of-life.

© Scrap Tire News, March 2025