State Grants Help Repave Michigan Streets

Clio, Michigan repaved twelve streets in the city last month with rubberized asphalt. Funding for the projects came from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Scrap Tire Market Development program. The DEQ Scrap Tire grant reimburses up to 50 percent of construction costs for repaving projects. The city then pays for engineering services.

Clio received two grants in 2012 in the amount of $139,122 and $142,175 totaling $281,297 for street improvements using asphalt mix that contains recycled tire crumb rubber. City officials said the funding allowed them to address some of the worst streets in the city.

Streets selected for re-paving had the existing asphalt and base removed and pulverized to be incorporated in a new compacted base. The new pavement was laid on the compacted base in two courses–a base course and a rubberized wear course. The rubberized asphalt mix used in the wear course contained recycled tire crumb rubber from about 2,600 tires, officials said.

The newly paved streets have a life expectancy of 15 years, but proper maintenance could extend that, city officials said.

The city was also awarded a third grant from MDEQ in the amount of $101,500 to be used for future improvements to other city roads in 2014.

© Scrap Tire News, October 2013