You might not think that major sporting events like the Super Bowl in football or World Cup in soccer would usher in an eco-friendly practice. But that’s what they have done in downtown Atlanta. A group based in Georgia is making streets in the region smoother for the big crowds drawn to these events. They're repaving them with rubber-modified asphalt made from scrap tires. The method reuses decaying tires. The tires add waste into the world. So, the group turns them into something useful. The roads become smoother. And the new pavement should last longer, too. For the project, the Atlanta Department of Transportation (ATL DOT) has partnered with UGA, Liberty Tire Recycling, and a nonprofit called The Ray. This eco-friendly pavement should last twice as long as normal asphalt. It won’t crack. And it won't rut. This should reduce maintenance costs down the line. “Rubber-modified asphalt was first developed nearly 50 years ago,” Allie Kelly, executive director of The Ray, told 11Alive TV in Atlanta. “It’s well proven to extend pavement life and reduce maintenance.” The new asphalt is produced from finely ground recycled tires. It'll get a trial run on a one-third-mile stretch of Ellis Street. This is between Peachtree Street and the Downtown Connector, in Atlanta. If it works there, it will be used across the region to smooth streets for the extra car traffic of the World Cup this summer and the Super Bowl in 2028. Solomon Caviness is ATL DOT commissioner. Caviness told 11Alive the new asphalt is already in use in other parts of the country. This new pavement will likely be used on other roads throughout the city as it prepares for future events, Caviness said. Reflect: What responsibility do you think communities have to protect the environment when hosting large events? Photo of a road from Unsplash courtesy of Ian DeLashmutt.
