UDOT uses recycled concrete in new interchange

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Transportation said it is using recycled concrete to build a new Bangerter Highway interchange near 4700 S. 

Construction crews removed concrete from the road to make way for a new interchange. Instead of discarding it, UDOT decided to reuse it 

UDOT has been working for a decade to remove stoplights from the highway, replacing them with freeway-style interchanges. The projects are intended to increase safety and help traffic flow smoothly. 

According to UDOT, construction crews just finished processing 15,000 cubic yards. 

That is enough concrete to fill two Goodyear Blimps.

“In the past, all of this concrete would have gone to waste, and now is being recycled and reused for UDOT projects,” said Robert Stewart, UDOT’s Region 2 director.   

UDOT decided to reuse the concrete in the same area to minimize truck trips. 

The journey of recycled concrete

For the past five months, crews have been working to give new life to the concrete. 

First, per the press release, construction teams used machinery to break up the existing concrete. Then, the teams used a machine to crush it. 

According to UDOT, the crushing machine contains a large magnet to remove rebar from the concrete. The remaining rebar was also recycled. 

Crews then processed it into a base for the interchange. 

“What most people don’t know is that most of the materials in our highways are 100% recyclable, whether that’s concrete or asphalt,” said Jake Nielson, the manager of the 4700 S. Bangerter Highway project. 

The north-to-south corridor is one of the largest in the Salt Lake Valley. An average of 60,000 vehicles use the road each day, per UDOT. 

Related: 4700 South closing at Bangerter Highway for a year