Federal Incentives in 2026 Reauthorization Would Promote Even More RAP Use, Saving Taxpayer Dollars

April 21

The asphalt pavement industry remains the country’s top recycler, according to new data released in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), putting 101.4 million tons of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) back into use during the 2024 construction season.

The savings really stack up, economically and environmentally:

• Saving taxpayers $4.7 billion compared to virgin materials
• Reusing enough asphalt binder to fill 1,775 Olympic-sized swimming pools
• Replacing enough aggregate to build 18 Hoover Dams
• Keeping 53 Empire State Buildings’ worth of waste out of landfills
• Reducing energy consumption by using warm-mix technologies to produce 40.2 percent of pavements

NAPA is leveraging this data to advocate for increased incentives in the upcoming highway reauthorization to spur greater RAP use. “By including incentives for recycled materials in the next reauthorization bill, we can save state DOTs billions while maintaining the pavement performance and quality American taxpayers expect,” said NAPA Vice President for Engineering, Research, & Technology J. Richard Willis, PhD.

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Take the 2025 construction season surveys before May 31.

April 20

The Airport Asphalt Pavement Technology Program (AAPTP) released two new research reports offering updated technical guidance to improve the performance, safety, and durability of asphalt pavements at the nation’s airfields. The findings give engineers and contractors new tools for testing, design, and construction at airports nationwide. The two studies address compaction method validation for asphalt mix design and the prevention of pavement slippage failures at high-speed runway exits.

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April 9

NAPA, program operator for the North American Product Category Rules (PCR) for Asphalt Mixtures, issued a mid-cycle update to the PCR (Version 2.1), effective April 1, 2026. The revisions align with EPA feedback, underscoring NAPA’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of transparency and reliability for environmental product declarations (EPDs).

“Version 2.1 provides asphalt EPD users with robust, transparent tools to lead the transition to sustainably designed and constructed pavements,” said Amlan Mukherjee, Senior Director, Sustainability & Intelligent Construction. “Our goal is to provide the marketplace with absolute confidence in the integrity of our data while we look toward the next generation of standards. These updates underscore our commitment to transparency and ensuring a sound underlying processes.”

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View the program documents.

March 27

It is bittersweet that House Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Chairman Sam Graves will retire at the end of the year. NAPA is appreciative of his leadership and collaboration leading this critical committee. While Chairman Graves’ service in Congress spans more than 20 years, we are especially thankful for his time leading the T&I Committee the last four years. During that time, NAPA has hosted Chairman Graves twice: during our 2023 Midyear Meeting and our 2025 Annual Meeting in Maui. Both engagements provided insightful policy discussions and strengthened the relationship between the asphalt pavement industry and Congressional leadership. Just last week, NAPA co-hosted Chairman Graves, Rep. Stauber, and Whip Emmer on a highway project tour in Minneapolis amidst T&I’s work on reauthorization this spring. We thank him for his work leading key NAPA initiatives like work zone safety, permitting reform, and Highway Trust Fund solvency. NAPA is working with Chairman Graves and Congressional allies toward a successful surface transportation reauthorization package. We look forward to concluding Chairman Graves’ tenure on a high note.

Photo: Elam and Graves in conversation at NAPA’s 2025 Annual Meeting.

February 4

Over several General Sessions at its Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, January 26-29, NAPA recognized its 2025 national award winners. Top honors went to Payne & Dolan Inc., a Walbec Group co., which was revealed as the 2025 Sheldon G. Hayes Award winner for its work on US-2 East of Great Lakes Road to Gogebic Station in Gogebic County, Mich. All winners, finalists, and project descriptions are available in the following category-specific releases.

Wisconsin-based Payne & Dolan and Michigan DOT win national award for US-2 paving project (2025 Sheldon G. Hayes Award)

Eight U.S. contractors capture national award for top-quality pavements (2025 Larry H. Lemon Awards)

Dunn Construction wins national paving award for Birmingham airport project (2025 Ray Brown Airport Asphalt Pavement Award)

Eight asphalt companies earn national recognition for operational excellence (2025 Operational Excellence Awards for Environmental Leadership, Community Involvement, and Safety Innovations)

December 28

Upcoming at NAPA’s 2026 Annual Meeting: newly elected Board Chair Jay Lemon will be sworn in; Savannah Bananas owner Jesse Cole and author Sam Demma will keynote; and NAPA members share thought-provoking, main-stage stories in the new Member-to-Member Live segment. 

Images available upon request: Jesse Cole, Sam Demma, Jay Lemon, Jason Duininck, Ron Sines, Vince Hafeli, Brad Oneglia, Pat Nelson, 2026 Annual Meeting logo, Member-to-Member Live logo. Images from the Annual Meeting website may also be used for editorial use only.

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