A new idea for rubber asphalt paving has caught the attention of a member of Hawkesbury council.

During the general staff reports review portion of the May 12 council session, Councillor Antonio Tsourounakis asked Public Works Director Jonathan Wilson about the feasibility of rubberized asphalt for helping extend the lifespan of the town’s paved streets. Wilson noted that would depend on the provincial Ministry of Transportation approving use of such material.

“Every bit of material we put on the roads has to be approved by the MTO,” said Wilson.

Tsourounakis wondered if the town could do a test project using rubberized asphalt on a half-kilometre section of paved road to set how well it worked for traffic and also stood up to winter road conditions.

Rubberized asphalt is the process where bits of recycled rubber is added to a standard hot asphalt mixture. The rubber bits bind with the asphalt and are supposed to make the asphalt more flexible to adverse weather conditions and subsurface shifting of the ground. Both conditions are the main cause of asphalt pavement cracking. The process is more expensive than ordinary asphalt but can help extend the lifespan of a paved road surface.

Wilton noted that the ministry is still researching the usefulness of rubberized asphalt and has not made a decision yet on whether it might be suitable for Ontario roads, both rural and urban. Wilton told council that he is in touch with ministry officials about the review and will let council know the results.