Tonnes of carbon will be saved, as a new and innovative method for resurfacing roads will be used on two North East roads this month.

The full length of Arcot Avenue in Whitley Bay and part of Brenkley Avenue in Shiremoor will be resurfaced using a process that uses fewer resources, lower mixing temperatures, lower energy resources and a lower bitumen content than conventional asphalt surfacing materials.

This process will save roughly 24 tonnes of aggregate and four tonnes of bitumen, taking nearly one-third off of the project's predicted carbon footprint. 

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The overall footprint is around 10 tonnes of carbon compared to an estimated 14 tonnes used in traditional resurfacing methods.

It will be offset via a Verified Carbon Scheme (VCS), which will involve the planting of trees in North Tyneside, and supports North Tyneside Council’s efforts to tackle climate change and to reduce its carbon emissions.

Councillor Sandra Graham Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency, said: “We’re working hard to achieve our ambition of North Tyneside Council being carbon net-zero by 2030.

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"That means the council and its partners are constantly looking for opportunities to reduce our carbon footprint. I welcome this new and innovative initiative, which is a step towards making our essential highway maintenance works more sustainable.”

More than 2,000 square meters of road - the full length of Arcot Avenue and part of Brenkley Avenue - will be resurfaced at the end of the month.

The council’s road resurfacing programme is managed for the local authority by its partner Capita and delivered by approved sub-contractors. Miles Macadam will carry out the works at Arcot and Brenkley Avenue.

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Both locations are currently concrete roads, which makes them suitable for Miles Macadam’s specialist manufactured material, Milepave.  

The material will be laid on the roads, sealing them against water ingress, and treating the concrete joints before and after surfacing whilst preventing further erosion of the support layer beneath the concrete.

Read more about North Tyneside’s carbon net-zero ambitions on the council website.