County of Elgin Uses Asphalt Recycling Technique in Road Rehabilitation Project

An asphalt recycling process was used to rehabilitate Ron McNeil Line in the County of Elgin. The County invested $1.6 million from the Canada Community-Building Fund into reconstruction of an 8.12 kilometer stretch of the roadway.  

Ron McNeil Line was constructed in 1989 and runs between Belmont Road and Imperial Road. Although Ron McNeil Line is a rural roadway, it sees heavy traffic. More than 2,600 drivers use it daily.

Public Works used an asphalt recycling technique known as cold in-place recycling with expanded asphalt material (CIREAM). This method differs from traditional road resurfacing. With CIREAM, the surface asphalt is removed from the road and re-processed on-site by mixing the existing material with new liquid asphalt, and then applying the re-processed asphalt to the surface and rolling it smooth.

This process saves time, budget and resources by re-using the original road asphalt. It also helps reduce greenhouse gases, because less trucks and equipment are used. Additionally, it extends the lifespan of the road by 20 years and can be done multiple times.