In northern Pennsylvania, many of the rural roads were constructed and maintained for light to moderate farm traffic. When natural gas drilling and exploration in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale region hit, the roads suddenly became major thoroughfares for thousands of trucks hauling equipment and materials needed for natural gas operations, thereby causing major damage to the
roads.

RETTEW teamed with a natural gas client and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to create a cost-effective, long-lasting network of roads to serve increasing traffic needs. Our team of experts used full-depth reclamation, a process which recycles existing materials mixed with Portland cement and water, to provide the base layer for overlay with bituminous asphalt. The approach reduced the number of trucks required to complete the project by 95 percent, reduced the volume of new material purchased and incorporated by up to 95 percent, and minimized used material headed to landfills. By using state-of-the-art technology, reducing costs, maintaining a team-oriented atmosphere, and working around the clock, RETTEW and our client have improved hundreds of miles of roads for the local community while still being able to explore one of the country’s most abundant sources of fossil fuel.