FOUNTAIN VALLEY : Recycled Tires to Be Used in Repaving

Recycled tires turned into an asphalt rubber mix will pave the way for the rehabilitation of portions of Brookhurst Street in Fountain Valley.

At a cost of about $1 million, the thoroughfare will be reconstructed and resurfaced from Warner to Heil avenues and from Garfield to Talbert avenues, said Wayne S. Osborne, director of public works.

An estimated 7,000 tires will be recycled into the asphalt mix for the half-mile stretch between Warner and Heil. The cost of the work is about $294,000, Osborne said. Construction is planned to begin March 1 and will be completed by mid-April.

Osborne said an estimated 15,000 used tires will be recycled for the mix to repave the one-mile section between Garfield and Talbert. Cost for the work is about $757,000 with construction due to start April 15. Completion is scheduled by mid-June.

In both project bids, Osborne said using the asphalt rubber mix was cheaper than an asphalt concrete mix.

Osborne said the asphalt rubber mix, which is 20% rubber and 80% oil, is expected to last longer than the standard concrete mix.

In addition, Osborne said, using a concrete mix would require closing down driveways for days near businesses during construction to allow the pulverization and cement treatment process to be completed.

“With the rubberized mix, we do not have to shut down driveways,” he said.

However, traffic will be restricted to two lanes in each direction during all times of construction, he said.