The first major trial of a new asphalt made partly from recycled waste tyres has been successfully completed on a stretch of the A90 dual carriageway.

The stretch between Perth and Dundee is one of the busiest roads in Scotland with around 35,000 vehicles passing through daily.

Over the next few months the material will be closely monitored against a number of criteria including skid resistance.

Breedon Aggregates, which has developed the new material, said it would also bring environmental benefits. They have paired up with a Danish company Genan to use rubber in asphalt.

Alan Mackenzie, chief executive of Breedon Aggregates, said: “Our industry has been trying for years to successfully incorporate recycled rubber into asphalt, without much success. Thanks to this new technology, which we are partnering with Genan to promote in the UK, we can help change that.”

Since 2006 EU rules have banned the disposal of tyres to landfill, leaving large quantities of shredded rubber to find alternatives uses in various forms of recycling.

Transport Scotland said: “We are pleased that industry has identified this opportunity and developed an alternative surfacing material for use on the trunk road network. This adopts a sustainable approach in making the best use of resources available, by re-using an abundant waste material and thereby reducing the use of oil-based bitumen products.”

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