Drivers along Rossland Road will notice something different this fall. The Town of Ajax has launched a pilot project using Hot In-Place Recycling (HIR) technology on Rossland Road between Audley Road and Lake Ridge Road, aiming to refresh the worn pavement at a fraction of the usual price tag.
The pilot will heat and reuse the road's existing asphalt to create a renewed driving surface, rather than milling it off and hauling in new material. According to a Town of Ajax news release, the approach costs approximately 44 per cent less than traditional resurfacing methods while cutting the environmental impacts that come with new asphalt production and trucking.
An interim fix ahead of full reconstruction
The section of Rossland Road is not slated for a full rebuild until 2030 or 2031, so the pilot serves as a stopgap. Rather than spending heavily on conventional resurfacing now, the Town hopes the recycled surface will hold up until the heavier work begins.
The technology itself was developed locally, which the Town says means the project also supports homegrown innovation while improving local road conditions.
This pilot project reflects the Town's commitment to innovation, sustainability and responsible infrastructure investment. By exploring locally developed technology, we are finding smarter, more efficient ways to maintain our roads while supporting solutions that can benefit both our community and the environment.
Mayor and CEO Shaun Collier made the remarks in the Town's announcement.
Four years of monitoring ahead
How well the recycled pavement stands up to Durham Region winters and daily traffic won't be known quickly. The Town plans to monitor the road's performance over the next four years before deciding whether to roll the method out on other municipal roads.
This project provides an opportunity to address immediate road conditions while testing a cost-effective and environmentally responsible rehabilitation method. Monitoring its performance over the next four years will help inform future decisions about maintaining and improving our road network.
Ranil Fernando, the Town's manager of infrastructure and asset management, told the Town of Ajax in the release that the results will guide how Ajax maintains its road network going forward.
For Ajax taxpayers, the pilot is a bet that cheaper, greener road repairs can hold their own against conventional methods. If the Rossland Road surface performs, the Town could have a new default option for the many other arterial and collector roads that will need attention before their own reconstruction dates arrive.
No timeline for completion of the Rossland Road work was included in the announcement. Motorists travelling between Audley Road and Lake Ridge Road should watch for construction signage and lane restrictions while the resurfacing is underway.
