New road in North Carolina uses concrete instead of pavement

Officials in North Carolina were faced with a unique situation recently when it came to a main road that saw massive amounts of traffic by truckers. To survive the wear and tear the road constantly undergoes from the big rigs, the town of Morrisville, which the road runs through, decided to pave the way with concrete.

This solution stemmed from the supply of concrete that was available by local business that was often carried through the area by trucks. This road is one mile long and is a major route for commercial reasons as well as a way to the Raleigh/Durham International Airport.

"Concrete has a much longer useful life of at least 40 years, versus 15 years for asphalt and the cost was only about 20 percent more than asphalt," Blake Mills, the town's public works director, said in a statement. "Asphalt really didn't cut it the first time; therefore a high-strength concrete road seemed like the only viable solution."

Truckers who use this road will now have a smoother ride and the town can enjoy a road that will last for decades with little need for maintenance.

New road in North Carolina uses concrete instead of pavement

Friday, December 9th, 2011