Road to the Future

The global road network is one of the largest systems ever built by man. In the United States alone, the total length of roadway exceeds 6.6 million kilometers - enough to circle the Earth 165 times. 

While relatively simple to build as compared to other structures - like skyscrapers or dams - the sheer scale of the global network makes road construction one of the largest sources of material consumption on our planet. While road types can vary greatly depending on their use, location and construction method the majority are formed from crushed rock, sand and asphalt in a process that releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere.

In order to curb the environmental impact of road construction, a number of new innovations are now trialled. 

RECYCLED PLASTIC ROADS

Replacing some of the finite resources used in road construction with one of humanity’s most notorious waste products - all whilst extending the lifespan of the roadway itself - makes a lot of sense. In India, the process of melting plastic to fill in potholes has been happening on a small scale for number of years. 

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