FRANKFORT, Ky. (Feb. 15, 2021) – The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet will provide grant funding to county or metro-government entities for local road projects that utilize rubber-modified asphalt, rubber from finely ground waste tires. Applications must be received by April 1, 2021.
“The division is excited to offer these grants to Kentucky counties,” said the director of the Division of Waste Management, Tammi Hudson. “We believe rubber-modified asphalt can provide several benefits, including promoting a cost-effective, performance-enhancing additive for county paving projects, and improving end-use markets for recycled tires which can lead to better waste tire management across the commonwealth.”
Paving projects can consist of either chip seal – a surface treatment that combines a layer of asphalt with a layer of aggregate, or asphalt overlay – a thin layer of asphalt applied over an existing road surface. Rubber-modified asphalt can reduce road noise and long-term maintenance costs, and increase the life of the road.
The money for these projects comes from the Kentucky Waste Tire Trust Fund, which receives $2 from every new tire sold in the commonwealth. In addition to promoting the development of markets for recycled waste tires, the fund also pays for waste tire collection events, tire dumpsite clean-ups, and grants for counties to manage waste tires.
The Cabinet will be performing testing and long-term monitoring to assess the effectiveness of rubber-modified asphalt in Kentucky. As a condition of the grant funding, counties will agree to pay for the application of conventional chip seal or thin overlay on a road in their county with similar characteristics, to allow for comparison between conventional and rubber-modified asphalt.
For more information, contact B. J. Bland at (502) 782-6556 or byron.bland@ky.gov. Visit the division’s website at Grants | Recycling and Local Assistance
