Leeds City Council identified key routes where Miles Macadam’s grouted macadams could provide long-term benefits. Among them was Victoria Avenue, a crucial link beneath Leeds Bradford Airport’s runway, allowing the A658 to maintain vital connectivity between Leeds and Bradford.
This heavily trafficked road, frequently used by buses, HGVs, and cars, faced significant surface deterioration due to persistent water exposure. Both entrances and exits of the tunnel are on an incline, causing water to drain back into the tunnel, leaving the surface constantly wet. Over time, this led to large-scale aggregate loss and premature surface failure. To address these challenges, Miles Macadam resurfaced the site using 4,054m² of Milepave™ PMB at 45mm depth. Milepave™ is a reduced carbon surfacing process that is manufactured using lower mixing temperatures and resources, therefore offers significant reduction in carbon emissions over conventional materials. Its 14mm aggregate design provides greater aggregate interlock and strength while the asphaltic grout enhances durability by sealing the surface. This system also reinforces surface strength to prevent stone loss and joint degradation. A specialist PMB binder was incorporated into the Milepave™ to further enhance cohesion and tensile strength alongside reducing temperature susceptibility. This durable, flexible, and water-impervious solution ensures long-term resilience against high traffic volumes and continuous water exposure, enhancing the longevity and reliability of this essential route.
Delivered Programme of Work
- 4,054m² of Milepave™ PMB Asphaltic Grouted Macadam
- 15.51 tCO₂e total emissions
Environmental Savings
- Savings of 57.3 tonnes in aggregates and 7 tonnes in straight run bitumen over conventional materials
- 14.4 tCO₂e saving over a conventional PMB SMA and a non-carbon neutral surfacing contractor (the equivalent of 43,230 car miles)
- Increased performance and subsequent lower whole life carbon costs
Financial Saving
- Designed system to last longer, address specific issues and ensure lower whole life
To watch a visual scheme summary of this project, please click the video below: