Thaindian News

QUEENS, NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) – A new asphalt plant located in Queens started operations with the objective of making road and pothole repairs more efficient, less expensive and more environmentally friendly, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan announced on Monday.

The facility is the second municipal asphalt plant and will greatly expand the amount of asphalt for New York’s street resurfacing and repairs. The new plant will also increase the city’s use of sustainable Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP). Once fully operational, the new plant is expected to save $5 million in annual asphalt purchase costs.

“The new facility will allow us to resurface and repair more streets faster, in a more environmentally sound fashion and at a lower cost,” Bloomberg said. “By producing more recycled asphalt, we’ll avoid two million miles of annual truck trips that are used to carry milled asphalt to landfills - reducing congestion, pollution and wear and tear on our streets.”

The City of New York purchased the plant for $30 million in March. The new facility will produce 250,000 tons of asphalt a year, and will increase New York’s RAP production by 25 percent. The increased use of RAP will reduce annual truck trips by two million miles and will also save more than a million barrels of oil annually.

The original asphalt plant is located in Brooklyn and has been operating since 1981. The opening of the new facility will allow the original plant to undergo important and necessary upgrades in order to increase RAP production at the Brooklyn facility.

“Continued investments that combine the safety and good repair of our streets with the need to reduce our City’s carbon footprint are helping New York City remain an international leader in sustainable practices,” said Sadik-Khan.