The Massachusetts Port Authority is wrapping up a repaving job that features the first application of warm-mix asphalt (WMA) on a U.S. runway. Currently, Federal Aviation Administration specifications do not address warm-mix asphalt. However, the mix is gaining attention because of its environmentally friendly properties.

J.F. White Contracting Co., Boston, began its approximately $12-million contract in July to repave a 7,000-ft-long, 150-ft-wide runway at Boston’s Logan International Airport, says project manager Tom Pyle. The mix was heated to between 250°F and 275°F, as much as 75° degrees less than traditional hot-mix asphalt. Massport officials say warm mix produced nearly 4,000 fewer tons of carbon-dioxide emissions, about 400,000 fewer gallons of diesel fuel and an energy savings of about 53 billion BTUs. The contractor is finishing a month early, with grooving and line striping.