PC: National Highways press release
Contractors resurfacing the A46 Warwick Bypass recycled 56% of the materials from the old road back into the new one, cutting the scheme’s carbon footprint by 23%, according to a National Highways press release published on 17 November 2021. Some 17,432 tons of material were reused and saved from landfill across 3.5 miles of the northbound carriageway between Sherbourne roundabout and the Leek Wootton roundabout, according to a National Highways press release. The work, which ran between late July and September, saved around 82,000 road miles.
Kier led the project on behalf of National Highways and recruited Aggregate Industries to carry out the resurfacing.
The release says the plan has three key commitments: net zero for National Highways’ own operations by 2030, net zero road maintenance and construction by 2040, and support for net zero carbon travel on its roads by 2050.
He said the work showed that innovation and collaboration across the value chain are needed for Kier and its partners to reach their net zero ambition. AI’s National Technical Manager, Neil Leake, said good collaboration and an innovative approach were at the heart of the scheme. They found the greenest and most cost-effective approach was to recycle the existing carriageway material, which reduced the amount that would otherwise have gone to landfill, according to the release. Project Manager Ryan Davies said the organisation has committed to “rapidly cut carbon from road construction, maintenance and operations”.
He added that the team had to overcome significant challenges to deliver on time while still meeting its low-carbon goal. Kier and AI devised a low-carbon pavement solution for the project. The old layers of road were recycled into the new carriageway using AI’s ex situ cold recycled Foamix asphalt. The project sits within National Highways’ wider net zero carbon plan. He added that the support of the supply chain is a vital part of meeting its objectives.