BEL AIR, MD — A roundabout made from recycled plastic that saved Harford County taxpayers $1.5 million has earned the county a statewide award.
The County Engineers Association of Maryland recently awarded Harford County's Department of Public Works Highways Division the 2026 Small Project of the Year Award for the roundabout at Bel Air South Parkway and Blue Spruce Drive.
The roundabout is the first of its kind in Harford County and among the first in Maryland, leaders say.
Instead of traditional concrete construction, county crews installed modular units made from recyclable plastic. Each square foot of the roundabout contains the equivalent of more than 100 recycled one-gallon milk jugs.
In total, the project reused the equivalent of approximately 370,000 milk jugs, county officials said.
Harford County's Highway Engineering team designed and installed the roundabout without hiring outside contractors. The project also eliminated the excavation and additional labor associated with traditional concrete construction, reducing costs and the time needed to complete the work.
"This award recognizes the ingenuity and hard work of our Public Works team, who found an innovative way to improve road safety and efficiency while saving taxpayers $1.5 million," Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly said. "It's a great example of the practical, forward-thinking solutions our county employees bring to their work every day."
The County Engineers Association of Maryland presents its Project of the Year Award to recognize county projects that address residents' needs while demonstrating cost savings, innovation and effective use of county employees and resources.
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