Rubber-modified asphalt use growing in Michigan

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) says government grants made since 1992 have helped create a growing end market for scrap tires in the state.

According to EGLE, more than 100 allocated grants over the last 22 years have led to more than 230 lane miles of rubber-modified asphalt (asphalt with recycled tire pieces in the blend) already installed in Michigan, and another 70 or more lane miles will be added this year, bringing the state’s total to more than 300 lane miles by the end of this year. (A lane mile is one lane or road of highway, meaning both lanes of a two-lane half mile length of road equates to one lane mile.)

“As we all experience road construction projects this summer, it’s good to know that grants are supporting the use of scrap tires in many of these projects,” says Kirsten Clemens, EGLE’s scrap tire coordinator.

The more than 300 lane miles of rubber modified pavement to be installed in Michigan by year’s end can be found in 32 different communities in 24 of the state’s 83 counties.

EGLE has partnered with the Michigan Department of Transportation, Michigan State University, Michigan Technological University, Lawrence Technological University, county road commissions and the Minnesota and Alabama tire associations to seek out the best paving practices using recycled tires.

Some state grants have provided funding for equipment used to support scrap tire processors to recycle tires into material that can be used in paving applications, while others have provided funding for specialized paving equipment needed by roadbuilding contractors.

Other grants have supported scrap tire end market research with three Michigan Universities (MTU, MSU and Lawrence Tech) while others contributed to the funding of two national test tracks—one coordinated by the National Road Research Alliance in Minnesota and the other by the National Center for Asphalt Technology in Alabama.

Also involved in a rubber-modified asphalt-related grant is the County Road Association of Michigan on a 2024 MDOT State Transportation Innovation Council grant.   

Grantees working on current projects include: scrap tire processor Entech of White Pigeon, Michigan; MTU; the Washtenaw County Road Commission; the Clinton County Road Commission; the St. Joseph County Road Commission; and the Road Commission of Kalamazoo County.

EGLE's Scrap Tire Program is responsible for overseeing the handling of scrap tires generated in the state, cleaning up existing scrap tire piles of 500 or more tires, and expanding the reuse and recycling of scrap tires.

The next grant application period will open later this summer, with more information available here.