Adopt
 a
Highway
Program

• Rubberized asphalt uses the rubber from scrap tires to provide a smooth, quiet ride and a durable pavement surface, which benefits drivers and residents living near freeways.
• Rubberized asphalt contains about 20 percent tire rubber that is blended into a liquid asphalt mixture.
• On Valley freeways, a one inch layer of rubberized asphalt will be applied on top of the existing 12 to 14 inch thick concrete pavement.
• Approximately 1500 tires per lane per mile will be recycled by paving Valley freeways with a one-inch rubberized asphalt overlay.
• Approximately 75% of freeway noise is generated from tires, and rubberized asphalt reduces that noise at its source.
• Studies have shown that rubberized asphalt can reduce traffic noise levels by an average of 4 decibels.
• The frequency range that moving vehicle tires produce while rolling on rubberized asphalt is lower than with concrete surfaces, reducing the higher pitched frequencies that tend to be more irritating to homeowners and freeway drivers.
• ADOT is considered a pioneer in the use of rubberized asphalt in paving projects with more than 4.2 million tons of rubberized asphalt paved on Arizona highways since 1988.
• ADOT has invested $225 million in rubber asphalt paving projects since 1988.
• An estimated 15 million tires (plus) have been recycled since 1988 by paving Arizona highways with rubberized asphalt.
• The application of rubberized asphalt is sensitive to temperatures, meaning that paving in the Phoenix area is limited to the spring and fall seasons – March 15 through May 31, and September 1 through November 15.  The concrete pavement surface needs to be between 85 and 145 degrees Fahrenheit for the material to adhere properly.