Throughout history, lime has proven its value in road construction time and time again. Durable, safe and effective, it’s the cornerstone of numerous infrastructure projects. Whether it’s used for soil stabilization, building foundations, improving resistance to moisture damage in hot mix asphalt (HMA), or a number of other benefits, lime adds immense value to road construction projects.
Today, we’re discussing two specific projects in our own backyard. While the projects are different, they share one important commonality: the use of lime to enhance durability and longevity.
Long-Awaited Improvement: The I-35 Project
In April 2019, construction began on Interstate 35 north and southbound through Waco. With the hope of improving the stretch of interstate between 12th St. to N. Loop 340, workers:
- Widened the main lanes to four in each direction
- Improved frontage roads and ramps
- Reconstructed bridges and improved interchanges
- Added U-turns
- Improved bicycle and pedestrian access
The goal of the project was threefold: improve safety and mobility, add capacity and enhance aesthetics. That’s no small undertaking, and in our humble opinion, we shouldn’t overlook using lime to address the poor clay soil subgrade.
As predicted, the project reached completion in 2023—and locals, visitors and passersby breathed a collective sigh of relief! This diagram gives a visual representation of the completed project.
“Mall-to-Mall” Progress: Highway 6 to Highway 84
More recently, work began on another major project in Waco: the Highway 6 to Highway 84 loop, between Central Texas Marketplace and Richland Mall.
The $152.8 million project, in progress now, will widen the highway from two to four lanes. Along with that, they’ll reconfigure frontage roads and ramps and add a few new bridges. Once again, soil stabilization and hot mix asphalt surfaces are done best with versatile lime, tested by time
Road construction can be inconvenient and frustrating. The good news is, when lime is used, we won’t have to worry about more work being done for a while. Whether we realize it or not, lime is all around us—and that’s something to be thankful for!
