WPB: SINGAPORE – The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has begun experimenting with the use of plastic waste in asphalt to pave roads, with portions of the Pan-Island Expressway, West Coast Highway, and Jalan Buroh in Boon Lay featuring this eco-friendly material.
This initiative is part of a broader investigation into the practicality and resilience of environmentally conscious road surfacing options. The trials aim to evaluate multiple performance indicators — including surface roughness, heat retention, and noise mitigation — through on-site testing.
Senior Minister of State for Transport, Amy Khor, shared on Facebook that should the new asphalt blends meet necessary standards, they could be implemented on selected roads and expressways. “I’m encouraged to see our transport sector embracing more sustainable practices,” she commented.
LTA clarified that it is examining two distinct types of asphalt that integrate plastic waste, each tailored for different roadway needs. One of these trials, conducted on Jalan Buroh, involves the addition of clean, readily available plastic waste to improve the strength and endurance of industrial road sections subjected to heavy-duty traffic from large, slow-moving vehicles.
This specific pilot project is the result of a partnership among LTA, the National Environment Agency, Singapore Polytechnic, and local construction firm Samwoh.
Concurrently, a separate trial on the West Coast Highway and Pan-Island Expressway features a newly developed plastic-bitumen composite. This material was engineered jointly by LTA and the National University of Singapore and is intended for more general road applications.
LTA noted that this version required a complete overhaul of the conventional asphalt mix design. In addition to maintaining durability, it is also anticipated to lower traffic noise and contribute to urban cooling efforts.
Though novel in its current form, the concept of using recycled substances in road infrastructure isn’t entirely new to Singapore. In fact, LTA amended its road building guidelines back in 2010 to accommodate recycled waste materials. That decision followed a successful 2009 trial on a 200-meter stretch of Tampines Road, which utilized reprocessed construction debris and incinerated landfill waste.
Moreover, since mid-2020, the government has been experimenting with a material called NewSand — produced from repurposed municipal solid waste — as a base layer beneath asphalt along parts of the Tanah Merah Coast Road.
The use of plastic-infused asphalt has been adopted in other countries like the United Kingdom, India, and Indonesia since the early 2000s.
Additionally, LTA is exploring a collaboration with local startup Magorium, which was founded in 2019 to convert plastic waste into road-building materials. The company’s product, NewBitumen, has already been applied to five private roadways, including those leading to the DBS Newton Green building and a residential complex in Marymount.
Separately, the authority announced that it will employ a quieter asphalt blend containing rubber and latex compounds for resurfacing select parts of Singapore’s expressways. A section of Tampines Expressway near Sengkang and Punggol is scheduled to receive this low-noise surface treatment in 2025.
LTA emphasized that these efforts are not only aimed at advancing sustainability but also at identifying more effective and longer-lasting road paving solutions.
By WPB
Asphalt, Bitumen, Road
If the Canadian federal government enforces stringent regulations on emissions starting in 2030, the Canadian petroleum and gas industry could lose $ ...
Following the expiration of the general U.S. license for operations in Venezuela's petroleum industry, up to 50 license applications have been submit ...
Saudi Arabia is planning a multi-billion dollar sale of shares in the state-owned giant Aramco.
