JEFFERSON CITY, MO. (AP) -- Missouri's Department of Transportation says it has saved more than $20 million by using recycled asphalt and housing shingles to pave roads.
Agency officials say the mixture has proven to be very durable, cheaper and more rut-resistant than traditional asphalt.
In 2009 the department recycled a half-million tons of asphalt and 53,000 tons of asphalt roofing shingles - enough shingles to cover nearly 17,000 homes.
MoDOT says recycling these materials reduced the amount of petroleum used in road construction by 20 percent in 2009 and kept the shingles out of landfills.
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