Mexico’s Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport is incorporating recycled rubber from end-of-life tires into asphalt maintenance on a 6.3-kilometer section of the federal Pachuca-Querétaro highway in Hidalgo. The project, carried out by SICT’s regional center in Hidalgo, covers the section between kilometer 61+500 and kilometer 67+800 on carriageway B, from Portezuelo in Tasquillo to the Hidalgo-Querétaro state border. The works are expected to take approximately two months, depending on operating and site conditions. By using ground rubber recovered from waste tires in the asphalt mixture, SICT aims to combine highway maintenance with circular economy principles, giving end-of-life tires a productive application in road infrastructure while reducing the amount of difficult-to-manage rubber waste.

Project covers 6.3 kilometers of federal highway

The maintenance works are being carried out on the toll-free federal Pachuca-Querétaro highway between Portezuelo and the Hidalgo-Querétaro border. The intervention covers approximately 6.3 kilometers, specifically from kilometer 61+500 to kilometer 67+800 on carriageway B.

SICT expects the road works to take around two months to complete, although the schedule may vary depending on operating conditions and circumstances at the construction site.

Ground tire rubber incorporated into asphalt

The project uses asphalt containing ground rubber recovered from used tires. The approach gives material from end-of-life tires a new application in road construction rather than directing it solely toward disposal or lower-value recovery routes.

Rubberized asphalt is one of the established markets for recycled tire rubber and can provide a relatively high-volume outlet for crumb rubber when technical specifications and procurement requirements support its use.

SICT links road maintenance with circular economy goals

SICT said the use of recycled tire material supports responsible resource use and circular economy principles by returning waste-derived material to productive infrastructure applications.

The approach also combines two public policy objectives: maintaining Mexico’s federal highway network and creating additional applications for materials recovered through tire recycling.

Waste tires gain new infrastructure application

End-of-life tires can be difficult to manage because of their durability, volume and resistance to degradation. Converting the rubber fraction into material for asphalt provides an alternative pathway that can reduce stockpiling and disposal while creating demand for recycled rubber.

Road construction and maintenance projects can be especially relevant to tire recycling because they can absorb significant quantities of crumb rubber when projects are implemented at sufficient scale.

Hidalgo project follows similar initiatives in Mexico

The Pachuca-Querétaro project adds to other recent Mexican road works incorporating recycled tire rubber. In September 2026, SICT also reported the use of ground waste tire rubber in asphalt rehabilitation on sections of the Morelia-Guadalajara federal highway.

Together, these projects indicate growing interest within Mexico’s road infrastructure sector in incorporating recycled tire-derived materials into pavement maintenance and rehabilitation.

Rubberized asphalt could strengthen domestic tire recycling markets

Greater use of recycled tire rubber in public infrastructure could help create stable domestic demand for material produced by tire recycling companies. Reliable end markets are essential for developing economically sustainable collection and processing systems for end-of-life tires.

If similar specifications are adopted more widely across federal and local road projects, rubberized asphalt could become an increasingly important outlet for recycled tire rubber in Mexico while supporting resource efficiency and circular infrastructure development.

Original announcement by Centro SICT Hidalgo.