Chilliwack – A recently acquired asphalt recycler is reducing the costs and environmental impact associated with the City of Chilliwack Operations Department’s patch and pothole repair program. While the new recycler does not eliminate the need for contracted road paving services, the new recycler makes pothole repairs, utility cuts, and other paving completed by the City of Chilliwack’s Operations Department self-sufficient.
In the past, when City crews removed old asphalt, it had to be transported to a disposal site, and new hot asphalt mix was purchased from external plants located outside of Chilliwack. Now, when City crews remove old asphalt, they can use the asphalt recycler at the Bailey Landfill to recycle and rejuvenate old asphalt in a more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible manner.
Asphalt can be reheated and reused when needed with the asphalt recycler, reducing delays caused by transportation requirements, external plant schedules, seasonal shutdowns, or supply shortages, and the increased availability of asphalt supply allows crews to complete pothole repairs and patches faster.
“Our crews are out responding to reports of potholes year-round,” said Mayor Popove. “With this new asphalt recycler, City crews can get significantly more asphalt onto the roads in a day, completing more patches at a lower cost to the taxpayer and with a smaller environmental impact.”
The new equipment also reduces the program’s environmental footprint, as recycling asphalt reduces the amount of material heading to the landfill, and trucks spend less time on the roads commuting to and from external out-of-town asphalt plants, reducing emissions.
As the community grows, so does demand for the City’s patch and pothole repair program. The new asphalt recycler will support more efficient, cost-effective pothole repairs, utility cuts, and patches for Chilliwack roads moving forward.
