OROVILLE, Calif. – Crews from Caltrans repaved a busy stretch of road west of Oroville Thursday using recycled plastic bottles. The $3.2 million paving project covers a stretch of Highway 162 between the Feather River and Christian Avenue in Oroville.

This is the first recycled plastic highway in North America. The department is testing the material for later use throughout the state.

Crews put the plastic material on three lanes of a 1,000-foot stretch of the highway.

Caltrans representatives say the plastic material can last two to three times longer than traditional asphalt pavement.

“We are recycling 100% of the road,” said President of TechniSoil Industrial, Sean Weaver. “So we are eliminating 42 truckloads of waste being hauled out. And 42 new truckloads of asphalt being brought to the job site. In addition to that, it’s over a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.”

The project is expected to wrap up Thursday. The plastic material consists of 150,000 recycled plastic bottles.

Motorists will be traveling later today on a section of Highway 162 that has been repaved using recycled asphalt pavement and liquid plastic made with plastic bottles. Read more at https://t.co/NswIs8f65x @CaltransHQ pic.twitter.com/EasMSu5qcJ

— Caltrans District 3 (@CaltransDist3) July 30, 2020