Penn State University will used baled tires as fill material to rebuild sunken dirt and gravel roads in rural communities. The university expects to complete the demonstration projects this summer. In addition to stabilizing the roadways, the one-ton tire bales will allow water and sediment to run off into vegetated areas next to the roads.

The state Department of Environmental Protection is administering the program, which the state is financing through the Starr Waste Tire Reuse Grant Program. The Penn State project is one of several to address the cleanup of the Starr Tire pile in Greenwood Township, Pa. The owners abandoned the site, which is home to some 6 million scrap tires.