A new asphalt plant is paving the way to the future for Bermuda?s roads.

The plant was officially opened this week with plant manager, Vernon Tankard, in attendance at the site of the old limestone quarry in Bailey?s Bay.

At least $2 million worth of equipment is inside the plant in order to produce road surface material of a world-class standard.

?It is a continuous drum plant capable of producing approximately 120 tons per hour of high quality asphalt,? the Ministry of Works & Engineering & Housing announced this week. ?One of the main features of the plant is that it utilises a unique mixing drum called a double barrel mixer.?

This means that this type of plant can produce 15 percent more tons of asphalt every hour yet use five percent less fuel.

It will ensure that Bermuda can produce asphalt as well as ?any other country?, the Ministry said.

It also praised the plant as being environmentally friendly.

?(E)missions will be minimised. This is aided by the double barrel process which means that there are less light oils and other emissions from the liquid asphalt.?

It can also recycle old asphalt to make new asphalt.

The plant is portable.

A silo will also enable the Ministry of W & E & Housing to store the product for up to four days.

The Ministry said the plant was at the forefront of road surfacing technology. One day synthetic polymers will be used to produce any colour of asphalt desired.

?The asphalt plant is manufactured by one of the market leaders in this industry, the US company, Astec Industries.?