S.J. officials want to test 'green' cement on Guadalupe trail

By Leslie Griffy Mercury News  Article Launched: 02/20/2008 01:35:27 AM PST

The pavement of the future might be used to build a portion of the Guadalupe River Trail near where it passes the Mineta San Jose International Airport.

On a 1,976-foot unpaved section of trail stretching from Skyport Drive to Airport Parkway, officials hope to lay "green" cement. Well, not actually green. It's more like an environmentally friendly shade of gray.

To prevent pollution-filled runoff from rolling off the trail unfiltered into the creek and eroding creekbed, officials will try a pavement mixture that uses less cement and more stones, allowing water to be absorbed into the ground below, said San Jose parks and recreation trail manager Yves Zsutty.

Officials aren't sure how they'll pay for the experiment. But they know they want to test it out. If the pavement is a success, Zsutty said it will line the 42 miles of trails slated for paving. If not, crews will have to build irrigation ditches near the trails, giving runoff a place to go, in order to meet new pollution regulations.

Zsutty said the new pavement will cost more than the current method, although he doesn't have firm figures yet. However, if the new pavement is successful in eliminating the runoff, the city won't have to dig expensive irrigation ditches to meet new pollution requirements. In that case, the city would save money.

Because 40 percent of the river trail's weekday users are bicycle commuters, Zsutty wants to make sure the new pavement is a smooth ride. Officials will ask runners and cyclists for feedback about the pavement once the cement is laid sometime this summer. They also plan to drive maintenance trucks that work on trails over the section to see how it holds up.

Contact Leslie Griffy at lgriffy@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5945.