The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is aiming to increase the composition of recycled materials in Singapore's roads to 70 per cent, up from 25 per cent now.
Doing this will not only make Singapore greener, it will also save the authorities millions of dollars, reduce the country's reliance on imported materials, and reduce the speed at which landfills pile up.
To test the sustainability of green roads, a 200m stretch along Tampines Road towards the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway will be used.
Three 50m stretches will be paved with recycled materials of varying concentrations, while the remaining 50m stretch will be paved in the conventional way and act as a test section.
This site was chosen because it is close to a heavy vehicle carpark and the volume of traffic using the area is high, said the LTA.
The stretch will be monitored for six months before a decision is made on whether recycled material is suitable for use on all other roads.
Singapore roads are laid using four layers. Currently, granite is the predominant material used in all the layers.
The new method will use processed incinerated waste from landfills, mostly discarded household items, to fill the bottom two layers.
The material, called Incineration Bottom Ash, or IBA, contains mainly silica, ceramic, glass and metal.
