Video: Rubber sidewalks will put a spring in your step

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BELLEVUE, Wash. - The City of Bellevue on Thursday will begin a test project to see if rubber sidewalks will work in areas where tree roots have buckled traditional concrete blocks.

On Thursday, workers will begin installing the rubber pavers, made from worn out tires, along a half-block stretch of Northeast 10th Street, west of 102nd Avenue NE.

American sweet gum trees, some up to 20 inches in diameter, have caused the concrete sidewalks to heave since the trees were planted adjacent to the sidewalk around 1991.

The pavers will be installed around the trees as an alternative to cutting them down.

City of Seattle

In recent years several cities, including Seattle, have installed rubber sidewalks.

The city says because the rubber pavers are flexible enough to accommodate some root growth, they should also decrease the risk of tripping.

In addtion, if tree roots do cause "heaving," rubber pavers can be more easily removed and replaced, allowing workers to trim roots instead of having to cut down trees.

Several cities, including Seattle, have installed rubber sidewalks in recent years.