Work has begun on a revolutionary ‘plastic’ road in the Eastern Cape town of Jeffreys Bay.

The road will be constructed using materials derived from non-recyclable plastic waste which, according to Vicky Knoetze, member of the Eastern Cape legislature, is processed into pellets and used to replace part of the bitumen in conventional asphalt mixes, as reported by JBay News.

‘The result is a road that is stronger and more durable. Water, the main cause of potholes, does not penetrate it as easily as with traditional asphalt mixes, and it is also more heat resistant,’ she says, adding that an estimated equivalent of 1.8 million plastic bags can be used to create one kilometre of road.

The project has begun with the installation of stormwater pipes, and construction is expected to be complete by mid-October.

13 August 2019
Image: MacRebur