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"We're projecting a $10-million savings by using a high RAP content in the mix designs for the project when it's completed," notes Paul Kovacs, Illinois Tollway's chief engineer.

When asked why the Tollway chose asphalt over concrete, Kovacs says the agency identified asphalt as the appropriate design for the project considering the volume of traffic, truck traffic in particular.

"All the work we do has a standard we need to address and through the research we do on a project, asphalt proved to be the best solution," Kovacs says.

And the Tollway's research in using a high FRAP content in design played a critical role in choosing a cost-effective solution to designing, constructing and maintaining a quality road structure.

"Based on the assumption we developed through the research work we developed in producing and constructing high-RAP roadways, and the extensive investigations we conducted to determine if this was the way to go, we concluded that it was the best approach and one that could save millions of dollars," adds Steve Gillen, materials manager for Illinois Tollway.