39,000 TIRES RECYCLED IN $5-MILLION-WORTH OF TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS

About 39,000 tires will be recycled and more than $5 million will be invested by the province this construction season in three environmentally-friendly transportation projects where the rubber hits the road.

Rubber asphalt, which is produced in part from scrap tires, will be used instead of conventional pavement on more than 30 kilometres of provincial highways this year in projects on Highway 1 near the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, along with Highway 11 near Davidson and Chamberlain. About 1,300 tires are recycled for each lane kilometre of rubber asphalt.

"Not only does rubber asphalt last longer and reduce the traffic noise characteristic of conventional pavement, it also provides a market for recycled rubber products," Highways and Transportation Minister Buckley Belanger said.

"By diverting about 39,000 tires from landfills and supporting innovation, the provincial government is fulfilling a Green Strategy Commitment to support a green and prosperous economy."

Highway 11 through Chamberlain

Almost four kilometres of Highway 11 through Chamberlain will be paved using rubber asphalt. Work also includes upgrading curbs and catch basins. The cost of the project is $1.4 million. Onsite construction began in mid August and is expected to be completed by late August.

Highway 11 near Davidson

Almost eight kilometres of the northbound driving (right) lane of Highway 11 from Davidson north was paved using rubber asphalt. The work was done on June 28 and July 3. The cost of the project was $126,800.

Highway 1

Rubber asphalt will be used to repave 20 km of the eastbound driving (right) lane of Highway 1 starting at the Alberta-Saskatchewan border and heading east, while the passing lane (left) will use conventional pavement. Ten kilometres in the westbound driving lane will also be resurfaced with conventional pavement. The cost of the entire project is $3.6 million. Onsite construction is expected to begin near the end of August and is expected to be completed by late September.


These projects are examples of the many innovative uses for the more than one million scrap tires generated in Saskatchewan each year. Tires are collected, processed and recycled through a non-profit, non-government program run by the Saskatchewan Scrap Tire Corporation.

"The biggest success of the Saskatchewan Scrap Tire Corporation has been the diversion of over eight million tires from landfill across this province, but there is a secondary benefit when we see the tire recycled into worthwhile projects like this," Saskatchewan Scrap Tire Corporation Executive Director Theresa McQuoid said. "There are literally hundreds of uses for recycled tires and we are pleased to see more and more innovative uses like rubber asphalt emerging."

These projects are part of the province's new Transportation for Economic Advantage strategy, which will see $5 billion invested over 10 years to improve the transportation system. A record $434 million has already been budgeted to maintain and enhance Saskatchewan's transportation network in the 2007-08 fiscal year.

Transportation for Economic Advantage is a strategy to fundamentally realign the province's transportation network to meet the current and future demands of Saskatchewan's thriving and robust economy, while exploring new ways of doing business and innovative partnerships to improve transportation infrastructure.

Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation would also like to remind motorists to slow to 60 km/hr in the Orange Zone when passing highway workers and equipment. For more information on highway construction and Transportation for Economic Advantage, please visit: www.highways.gov.sk.ca.

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For more information, contact:

Dan Palmer
Highways and Transportation
Regina
Cell: 306-536-9692 Theresa McQuoid
Saskatchewan Scrap Tire Corporation
Regina
Cell: 306-535-5595