x
Breaking News
More () »

Sustainable Infrastructure event calls for new material to build Toledo roads, bridges

Now it's time to think longer lasting using composite materials that will help advance the way residents get around take us into the decades ahead.

TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - Solving infrastructure problems in the area was the goal of the Sustainable Infrastructure event at Owens Corning.

Tuesday's three-hour lecture with many stakeholders from the region involved both  Michigan and Ohio Departments of Transportation along with innovators in design and civil engineering.

The main take away from the meeting was about our streets, bridges, roads and highways that have lasted 50 plus years. But now it's time to think longer lasting using composite materials that will help advance the way residents get around take us into the decades ahead.

Usually, when people think of roads and bridges, asphalt, concrete and steel tend to come to mind. But as we can see, especially drivers in Toledo, these materials can wear down and erode. Consider the Anthony Wayne Trail.

But the group of people that attended the said it's time to shift what's been used for the last 50 years and move the city forward using longer lasting composites.

"Alternative materials that they can use to make those problems go away entirely instead of having to manage corrosion using a composite material simply eliminates corrosion altogether," explained John Amonett, the GM of Owens Corning Infrastructure Business. "And we think in a state like Ohio or Michigan that uses lots of road salt to just keep the road safe and passable in the winter, this could really be a great solution."

The Anthony Wayne Bridge deck design was a topic of discussion. Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said the next city project for the badly torn up Anthony Wayne Trail will be moved up from 2019 to this summer.

Before You Leave, Check This Out