UNL College of Engineering helps make Nebraska’s first plastic road

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — An old road in South Sioux City is getting a makeover courtesy of the College of Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Millions of plastic bags were recycled into an asphalt mixture to pave a 4,000-foot stretch of Foundry Road, near Siouxland Freedom Park.

According to UNL, this “cutting-edge” asphalt blend was made from 2 million recycled plastic bags.

Jamilla Teixeira, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, was the mastermind behind the project.

“This is a pilot project, but it is an excellent opportunity to partner with a Nebraska community and test how the mixture will perform under the extreme weather conditions we have here,” Teixeira said. 

In addition to Foundry Road, the asphalt mixture will also be used to pave an extension of the Al Bengtson Bicycle Trail in the South Sioux City community.

This type of road is the first of its kind in Nebraska and aims to reduce plastic waste while improving road durability, especially during the state’s bipolar weather conditions.

India started the plastic road concept more than 25 years ago.

Colorado and Wisconsin have since invested in asphalt made from shredded plastic.

The College of Engineering partnered with the Nebraska Department of Transportation, the Nebraska Environmental Trust and First Star Recycling to help make this project happen.

The Nebraska Environmental Trust granted South Sioux City $500,000, making this project a reality.

Read the full story from UNL here.