Southwest Michigan Town Uses Recycled Tires For Road Repairs

Living in Michigan means a couple of things and dealing with rough road conditions is one of them. In fact, a few truck drivers went viral a couple of years ago for showing the stark differences between the highway road conditions in Indiana/Ohio to Michigan. The winter weather is not only harsh on our bodies and cars, but it also takes it toll on the roads we travel every day.

While Michigan doesn't have the best road conditions, MDOT and other state leaders are constantly looking for ways to improve our roads, reduce the damage they take which in turn reduces the amount of repairs, and how to make maintenance more cost effective. While some things work, others have proven to be a little far-fetched.

Just like anything else in the world, before they are deciding to run with a project on a statewide or even county wide scale, they will give it a pilot test run to measure it's effectiveness. If you notice, many of the highway bridges and the intersections below them look very similar? It's because they tested it out, gathered date, and then implemented the project. This may be happening with a new road repair idea involving used tires.

Did You Ever Think Used Tires Would Have Such a Useful Impact?

MLive via MSN reports:

Southwest Michigan road commissioners are using recycled tires to extend the life of a residential road in Mottville Township. Just north of the Indiana border, M-103 branches off to Old M-103, a 0.46-mile stretch of cracking pavement. In 2024, the St. Joseph County Road Commission tested a road treatment that uses recycled rubber from old tires as a flexible layer beneath asphalt. The goal was to slow cracking, extend the life of the road and make better use of limited road funding, per a County Road Association of Michigan press release.

They are hoping to watch the project over the next 5-6 years to determine if this could be a long-term solution for several roads around the state. They believe that using recycled materials could lead to road repairs becoming more cost effective over the years while also reducing the amount of repairs needed.