Meschede (dpa / lnw) – A pilot test on the motorway with “cooler asphalt” for more health protection: On a section of the A46 in the Hochsauerland district, the Westphalia motorway has installed “low-temperature asphalt” for the first time in its area of ??responsibility. The installation temperature of the asphalt mix was reduced from the usual 160 to 180 to around 140 degrees, said the Westphalia branch of the Autobahn GmbH des Bundes on Thursday. The pilot project between the Meschede and Bestwig junctions primarily serves to protect the health of employees.

By reducing the temperature, exposure to potentially harmful fumes and aerosols on the construction site is reduced. In the coming years there will be new limit values ??for exposure to aerosols on construction sites, which cannot be met with conventional construction, it said.

A positive side effect: By lowering the temperature, energy can be saved in the mixing plant. In addition, the CO2 emissions would be reduced, emphasized a representative of the branch. The modified asphalt had been paved in three days up to Thursday. Three test fields and one reference field have been created for each direction of travel. The project is one of the most important pilot projects in the area of ??motorways. According to a spokeswoman, there are already several similar political attempts nationwide.

Specifically, it is now being examined to what extent the aerosol load can really be reduced by the modification, and what consequences the temperature reduction may have on the service life of the asphalt surface.