Asphalt used on road surfaces are byproducts from fossil fuel. With the ultimate goal of eliminating the use of fossil fuel to combat climate change, are there any good alternatives for road surfaces? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a viable replacement of asphalt in the works, or even a plan to replace it in any environmental discussions before. At least, not enough for me to notice.
Extented question would be: what are some products derived from fossil fuel that are used in everyday life, but still lack viable alternatives you don’t see enough discussions about?
No, it’s been through serious development, with several projects and grants through the US government (US DoT/FHA, US DoE). But in all testing, it’s had multiple safety issues for car traffic (durability issues with the lighting elements that make up the road markings, for one example) that has kept it from any possible approval as an actual high-capacity road surface.
They haven’t had any sustained or spreading success because they keep shooting for the hardest goal… but likely they’ll have to eventually scale back if they want to gain any traction (no pun intended).
It’s also a stupid place to put solar panels. Just put them alongside the road.