Ford upgrades its test high-speed track using an environmentally friendly approach.

When the 52-year old high-speed test track at Ford’s Michigan Proving Ground undergoes its $13 million reconstruction, it will prevent 130,000 tons of debris from going to local landfills by reusing almost every bit of existing material.

The track is critical to Fords’ quality assurance process as it is used for a wide range of vehicle quality testing and handling in real-world conditions. Because green construction recycles and reuses materials promptly instead of trucking in new materials each day, construction time is slashed. In fact, the track is expected to re-open in autumn.

To make the overhaul as green as possible, an onsite crusher will process the old asphalt and concrete track into a recycled aggregate usable for road construction. After improvements are made to increase the cross-slope of the track to enhance the existing water drainage system, the recycled aggregate pavement (RAP) will be placed eight inches thick, compacted and covered with four layers of asphalt.

The bottom two layers will use 40 percent RAP, the maximum allowed under Michigan Department of Transport. The third layer incorporates 25 percent RAP and the final layer is new mix for optimal quality control.

Additionally, the 20,420 linear foot guardrail will be reinstalled where possible, unusable steel beams will be sent to a recycling center and wood posts are mulched.