A 4,000-ft. stretch of roadway in South Sioux City, Neb., is giving University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers an opportunity to study how recycled plastic performs as part of an asphalt pavement mixture.
Foundry Road was paved in June 2025 with asphalt containing approximately 2 million recycled plastic bags, making it the first roadway in Nebraska constructed with plastic-containing asphalt, according to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL).
Rather than treating the project solely as a recycling initiative, researchers are monitoring the pavement under traffic and Nebraska's wide-ranging weather conditions to determine how the material performs in service.
“This is a pilot project, but it is an excellent opportunity to partner with a Nebraska community and test how the mixture will perform under the extreme weather conditions we have here,” said Jamilla Teixeira, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at UNL.
Teixeira highlighted the South Sioux City project as part of The Science of Transportation, a national showcase of transportation research held in Washington, D.C., in May 2026.
According to UNL, her research focuses on incorporating recycled plastics, recycled asphalt pavement and bio-based materials into roadway construction while maintaining pavement durability.
From Recycled Bags to Roadway
The South Sioux City project developed through collaboration among the city, UNL, the Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) and several private-sector partners.
The city constructed the Foundry Road section near Siouxland Freedom Park, along with an extension of the Al Bengtson Bicycle Trail. The project received a $500,000 grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust, according to UNL.
The asphalt mixture incorporated approximately 2 million recycled plastic bags and 25 percent reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP).
While RAP is an established component of asphalt paving, recycled plastic represents a newer area of research. UNL researchers are investigating how waste plastics can function as polymer modifiers in asphalt binders and mixtures, with the goal of determining whether they can be incorporated without compromising pavement performance.
The project brought together the city of South Sioux City, NDOT, the Nebraska Environmental Trust, First Star Recycling, Dow Chemical, Jebro, Barkley Asphalt and Goodwill of the Great Plains, according to UNL.
Testing Pavement Performance
Laboratory testing allows researchers to evaluate pavement mixtures under controlled conditions, but an operating roadway exposes the material to traffic loads, moisture and seasonal temperature changes.
Researchers are particularly interested in characteristics such as cracking, rutting and moisture resistance. Nebraska's wide temperature variations make Foundry Road a useful location for evaluating the mixture under actual service conditions.
The university's June 2026 transportation research update noted that Teixeira continues to investigate alternative paving materials, including recycled plastics, reclaimed asphalt pavement and bio-oils derived from corn and soybeans.
Her research portfolio includes a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and NDOT project examining waste plastic as a polymer modifier for asphalt binders. The project runs through 2026 and is funded at approximately $142,000, according to UNL.
Another FHWA/NDOT project led by Teixeira examined the feasibility of using recycled plastic in asphalt pavements from 2023 through 2025.
Together, these efforts are intended to help transportation agencies understand how alternative materials affect pavement performance and whether they can meet the durability requirements of conventional roadway mixtures.
Putting Research Into Practice
The Foundry Road installation also gives researchers and industry partners an opportunity to evaluate how the material performs during an actual paving operation.
UNL photographs from the June 2025 project show shredded plastic prepared for incorporation into the pavement, along with crews placing the finished asphalt.
Beyond laboratory results, practical implementation requires a mixture that can be produced, placed and compacted successfully using paving equipment and construction methods. Its long-term value depends on how well it holds up after installation.
By monitoring the completed roadway, researchers can gather field data to complement laboratory findings and evaluate how the mixture responds to real-world conditions over time.
Field Test, Not Complete Answer
UNL has emphasized that Foundry Road is a pilot project, not proof that recycled-plastic asphalt is ready to replace conventional pavement mixtures throughout Nebraska.
Instead, the installation provides an opportunity to collect performance data and assess the potential role of recycled plastic in future asphalt construction.
For South Sioux City, the project has delivered a completed roadway that also serves as a long-term research site. For paving contractors and transportation agencies, the results could help clarify how recycled plastic can be incorporated into asphalt mixtures and what additional testing may be needed before broader adoption.
As monitoring continues, Foundry Road will provide further insight into how the material responds to traffic, moisture and seasonal temperature changes — and whether it can deliver the durability expected of a working roadway.
For more information, visit unl.edu.
