AUSTIN (KXAN) — The city of Austin wrapped work on a sustainable sidewalk project that crews built using eco-friendly materials.
The pilot ran along West 25th Street between Seton Avenue and Nueces Street in central Austin. The newly completed sidewalk comprises recycled tires, aggregate rock and a binding agent that is porous and flexible, city officials said in a newsletter blurb Monday.
Austin partnered with Capitol Flexi-Pave on the project, with the more sustainable material designed to better protect trees in their “critical root zone,” officials noted.
“Concrete requires digging to set, limiting its application near trees as they would damage the roots,” the newsletter read, adding: “While concrete is impervious and no liquid can penetrate the material, Flexi-Pave’s permeability allows for water to flow through, providing better groundwater recharge protecting the roots.”
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The newly completed sidewalk along a portion of West 25th Street comprises recycled tires, aggregate rock and a binding agent that is porous and flexible. (Courtesy Austin Transportation and Public Works Department) -
The newly completed sidewalk along a portion of West 25th Street comprises recycled tires, aggregate rock and a binding agent that is porous and flexible. (Courtesy Austin Transportation and Public Works Department) -
The newly completed sidewalk along a portion of West 25th Street comprises recycled tires, aggregate rock and a binding agent that is porous and flexible. (Courtesy Austin Transportation and Public Works Department) -
The newly completed sidewalk along a portion of West 25th Street comprises recycled tires, aggregate rock and a binding agent that is porous and flexible. (Courtesy Austin Transportation and Public Works Department)
Leadership of the Virginia-based Capitol Flexi-Pave are degreed urban foresters who “spent years designing new ways to preserve trees in challenging urban settings,” Capitol Flexi-Pave said.
Compared to concrete, Flexi-Pave is porous and flexible, which company officials said are key to maintaining trees while offering paving solutions. Company officials added there were some porous concrete and rubber pavement options prior to the introduction of Flexi-Pave, but those could end up being warped by extreme weather conditions and required more substantive maintenance and upkeep.
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