Michigan Recycles 7,000 Scrap Tires Into Road Asphalt in Award-Winning Project
Michigan used rubber from more than 7,000 scrap tires in asphalt laid across about 0.8 miles of Ellsworth Road in Pittsfield Township in 2025. The project was designed to compare rubber-modified asphalt with conventional pavement and later received national recognition for its environmental approach.
A road resurfacing project in Michigan has turned more than 7,000 discarded vehicle tires into part of a new pavement system, giving old rubber a second use in transportation infrastructure.
In 2025, the Washtenaw County Road Commission (WCRC) used rubber-modified asphalt on approximately 0.8 miles of Ellsworth Road in Pittsfield Township. The project was designed not only to recycle scrap tires but also to study how pavement containing recycled rubber performs against conventional asphalt.
The initiative brought together WCRC, Michigan Technological University and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).
The project later received national recognition. In June 2026, EGLE announced that the Ellsworth Road work had won the National Asphalt Pavement Association's 2025 Quality in Construction Award in the Green Category.
How scrap tires were used in the road
The recycled tires were not placed directly underneath the road. Instead, their rubber was processed and incorporated into a rubberised hot-mix asphalt mixture.
Ellsworth Road was selected for the project in 2025. The rubber-modified material was used on approximately 0.8 miles between the bridge over I-94 and Carpenter Road.
More than 7,000 scrap tires were designated for recycling into the asphalt used on this section.
A separate portion of the same road, between Platt Road and the bridge over I-94, was resurfaced using conventional asphalt. This arrangement gives researchers an opportunity to compare the performance of the two pavement types under similar conditions.
Michigan tests recycled rubber pavement
Construction progressed during August 2025, with contractor Cadillac Asphalt completing paving work on August 27, according to WCRC.
The project was supported through an EGLE grant and Michigan Transportation Funds. Along with providing an application for discarded tire rubber, the project was intended to generate data on pavement durability and performance.
Dany is a business journalist with Annuity Outlook Magazine, with over 16 years of experience across print, digital, and wires. He covers business, technology, policy, and corporate developments, with a focus on in-depth reporting and analysis. Over the years, he has worked across multiple editorial platforms. Skilled in content creation, editing, proofreading, and overseeing print layouts, his career spans multiple editorial platforms.
