Aptly dubbed PlasticRoad, the idea is for a prefabricated, modular and hollow road structure made from recycled plastics. Its inventors say it will last three times longer than traditional road paving, speed up construction by 70%, and have the ability to house underground infrastructure, plus store water during flood events.
Crazy, right?
Well, maybe not – its inventors have announced that a 30 metre trial PlasticRoad bike path will be built in the Dutch municipality of Zwolle, with installation scheduled for September. Another will be installed in a second location a few months later.
The concept was launched in 2015 by road construction company KWS (a subsidiary of Royal VolkerWessels). In 2016, KWS entered into a partnership with Wavin and Total for further development of the PlasticRoad.
The VolkerWessels website states: “The PlasticRoad partners KWS, Wavin and Total have worked extensively on the development and testing of the concept to validate and optimise performance such as the load bearing capacity of the modular elements, the appropriate blends of recycled plastic and the three dimensional design of the road itself. In addition, research focused on the reduced environmental impact has been carried out. The positive results achieved to date support moving forward to make the first pilot projects reality. These pilots mark an important step towards the developing process and success of the PlasticRoad.”
Anne Koudstaal and Simon Jorritsma, the inventors of the PlasticRoad and KWS employees, said: "After an extensive period of design, testing and development, we are delighted that the PlasticRoad is becoming a reality. Together with the municipality of Zwolle and the province of Overijssel, we as PlasticRoad partners are taking steps towards a more sustainable world with this first PlasticRoad bike path.”
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