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Recent Projects >Natchez Trace Parkway
The Natchez Trace Parkway in Misssissippi
 A
severely deteriorated 30-mile section of the Natchez Trace Parkway
southwest of Jackson, Mississippi was recently rehabilitated through
a process known as Full-Depth Reclamation (FDR). Originally constructed
in the 1930’s, The Trace, as it is known to locals, stretches
for 444 miles through portions of Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee.
Today it is administered by the National Park Service and serves
as a popular scenic drive for hikers, campers, and bikers. Due to
its popularity by recreational enthusiasts, the rehabilitation work
had to be performed without closing the roadway to traffic –
a formidable task – but one ideally suited for FDR.
The Trace rehabilitation project was originally bid to use expanded
asphalt technology (also known as foamed asphalt) but, due to constantly
changing soil and moisture conditions, was discovered to only work
well for the first 1,500 feet of the project. The contractor on
the project chose to alter and dry up the soils by applying hydrated
lime to the next 1,000 feet but was not able to obtain the necessary
compaction and strength on the material. Rather than abandon the
FDR process altogether, the contractor switched to portland cement
as the stabilizing agent for The Trace and the remainder of the
30-mile project was successfully completed without any delays!
As in the case of The Trace, portland cement is the key to reconstructing
flexible pavements that have failed. The incorporation of cement
with the old surface and base course materials provides a practical,
cost-effective means of strengthening worn-out pavements. The cement
binds the particles together to form a stabilized base material
capable of withstanding moisture infiltration and degradation. It
increases the strength of the base without the need for removing
the old material and hauling in large quantities of expensive new
base materials. The success of The Trace project is paving the way
for greater acceptance of FDR in Mississippi as an economical process
for long-term road rehabilitation.
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More About FDR:
Asphalt Pavements
How FDR Works
Start with a Good Foundation
FDR Research In Progress
FDR Recent Projects
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