Construction company VolkerWessels has put forward an idea for plastic road surfaces to be rolled out across cities. The company’s concept suggests PlasticRoad would be more sustainable and more practical for city planning, and Rotterdam could be the first to give the new roadways a go.
Consisting of 100% recycled material, VolkerWessels sees PlasticRoad as the solution for a sustainable city. Plastic roads are more durable than tarmac roads, lasting up to three times longer than your standard road surface, thus requiring less maintenance and city costs. Plastic roads can also survive a broader range of temperatures (-40˚C to 80˚C) and provide a quieter and smoother surface for vehicles, thus reducing noise and improving transport efficiency.
If that wasn’t reason enough to champion this new concept surface, towns and cities would be able to build these new roads quickly and cheaply, as everything can be built off-site and just slotted together into the ground. Each road section also contains a hollow space underneath for cables and pipes.
The Netherlands city of Rotterdam has expressed an interested in adopting PlasticRoad, according to The Guardian. If so, this will mark a triumph for the future of roadways, hopefully paving the way for alternatives such as solar-panelled roads and even roads capable of wirelessly charging your electric car.
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