The Georgia Department of Transportation amended the state’s road construction specifications to include recycled tire rubber as an alternative for road asphalt production. 
According to Georgia state Rep. Randy Nix, recycled tire rubber will be in widespread use as early as the 2012 paving season. Nix is vice chairman of the Georgia House Natural Resources and Environment Committee.
“Tires are manufactured in large quantities and with great durability,” said Nix. “By reclaiming tire rubber for asphalt roads, we can repurpose that durability and provide a beneficial outlet for this problematic waste material. And by sourcing tire rubber from within the state, Georgia will not only experience environmental benefits, but create jobs.”
Liberty Tire Recycling, Lehigh Technologies, and Blacklidge Emulsions were involved in developing the new paving material specifications and providing the committee with test data from other asphalt road work featuring reclaimed tire rubber.
“Liberty Tire Recycling and our partners are excited to work with GDOT to create longer-lasting, safer roads for Georgia residents and visitors," said Dick Gust, director of government affairs for Liberty Tire Recycling. “Rubberized asphalt is a technology backed by decades of research and development, but it takes forward-thinking government officials to bring an initiative like this to fruition.”
