Down This Road Before, Environmentally Friendly Resurfacing

YONKERS, NY — City officials are experimenting with an innovative new way to keep potholes at bay and protect the environment at the same time.

Mayor Mike Spano announced that Yonkers will work with Peckham Industries to try out an asphalt mix that incorporates “recycled asphalt products” (RAP) for roadway resurfacing. Yonkers will be the first city in New York, other than New York City, to use this new recycled asphalt mixture.

In fact, the new asphalt mix made with 40 percent recyclable materials is being used in a project to pave Kimball Avenue, from Yonkers Avenue to Hildreth Place, that is already underway. During the initial two-year trial period, the city will monitor the roads where the new asphalt mixture is used. If the trial is successful, the new recycled asphalt will be used on other city roadway projects.

“Our commitment to a more sustainable and greener Yonkers extends to our infrastructure,” Spano said in a statement announcing the initiative. “The use of RAP is a win-win for us. It provides us the opportunity to use a more durable and environmentally friendly material on our streets while potentially saving taxpayer dollars.”

Using recycled materials not only produces asphalt that is believed to be as durable as new asphalt, but also less stressful for the environment and comes with a big cost savings. The process reduces the need to mine new raw materials at the same time it reduces the need to dispose of the asphalt being replaced. The National Asphalt Paving Association estimates that $2 billion in taxpayer dollars are saved each year using recycled asphalt.