Next May 2024, the third phase of the structural rehabilitation project for the pavement of the N-122 road section between Aranda de Duero and the provincial border with Valladolid (27 km), in the province of Burgos, will begin, where ESTEYCO participates as Technical Assistance for the Ministry of Transport, Mobility, and Urban Agenda (Mitma).

Between May and October 2023, the first and second phases of the project were concluded:

• – Phase 1: Replacement of the existing road surface through milling and replacement with a 5 cm thick layer of hot bituminous mix, along the N-122 road passing through Aranda de Duero. (2023)
• – Phase 2: Cold recycling with emulsion of the upper 12 cm of pavement from the two lanes comprising the N-122, followed by the laying of a 5 cm thick intermediate layer of hot bituminous mix between Aranda de Duero and the Provincial Border with Valladolid. (2023)
• – Phase 3: Laying of a 3 cm thick road surface layer of hot bituminous mix on the intermediate layer executed in Phase 2, between Aranda de Duero and the Provincial Border with Valladolid. (2024)

The great particularity of this project is given by the cold recycling technique used in Phase 2 of the project.

This technique has allowed 100% of the pavement that was structurally worn to be placed on the roadway again, after having been milled (to achieve suitable material size) and mixed with an emulsion of bitumen, additives that rejuvenate the pavement and water.

The advantages of cold recycling are based on savings and sustainability, especially in the consumption of virgin aggregates and the use of old binders. It also reduces the environmental impact due to the extraction and manufacture of virgin aggregates from binders and fuels and, finally, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.

On the other hand, the execution of this technique reduces the impact on the traffic of the surrounding roads, as there is no need for trucks to transport the mixture from the point of manufacture, therefore it is understood that it is an environmentally friendly mixture.

Finally, the increase in construction performance stands out, as it is a continuous process that does not need hot mixing, covering action distances of between 2.0 and 2.5 km, only stopping its production to replenish the water and emulsion with the additives.