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| Visualization of a rubber highway. (Source: BBC) |
The UK has introduced a traffic congestion solution project, which involves repurposing approximately 14,500 km of disused railway tracks by covering them with flexible panels made from shredded rubber tires.
This new type of roadway can be used by both cars and trams traveling at speeds of up to 80 km/h, according to Holdfast, the company implementing the project.
However, some users of the old tracks do not support this plan. They prefer the tracks to be converted into pedestrian paths and bike lanes. According to them, adding more roadways will not reduce congestion but will only increase the number of cars.
Holdfast has previously utilized discarded rubber tires to create pathways for pedestrians and rail crossings. Now, they are expanding this concept to produce inexpensive panels that can be placed in the gaps between disused railway tracks.
For every 1.6 km of rubber road, approximately 354,000 discarded tires will be needed. The panels are produced using a “cold” method to minimize emissions during the manufacturing process.
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| Source: BBC |
A 300-meter test road has been constructed in a parking lot in Northamptonshire. Over the course of 8 weeks, more than 8,000 vehicles will pass over this surface to ensure it can withstand friction and stretching.
Coates Smith, the managing director of Holdfast, expressed his surprise at how quickly the road could be constructed. Four men took only 5 days to lay down 300 meters of road. “The panels we will use in the future will be three times longer, and you can imagine laying down 900 meters in 5 days,” he said.
The company also emphasizes that they do not intend to recreate the old roads in rural areas. On the contrary, it will serve as a cost-effective alternative for roads running through urban areas.
T. An
