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quarry process figure

From Magma to Motorway

THE VOLCANIC ROCKS from Ghyll Scaur Quarry are used to make some of the UK’s finest roadstone. Once crushed and graded, the rock’s unique gripping qualities and skid resistance make it ideal for surfacing main roads, motorways, roundabouts and airport runways.

The drawing here shows the key stages in the quarrying process. Since the 1930s, over eight million tonnes of roadstone have been extracted from this vast 30-hectare quarry — enough to surface a motorway from Millom to Milan. Now examine the various grades of aggregate (crushed rock) in the nearby bins. Exactly the same Millom roadstones are used on countless roads across Britain, from the M6 in Cumbria to the A38 in Devon.

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MILLOM ROCK PARK

logos-350Aggregate IndustriesCumbria County CouncilDEFRANatural EnglandCumbria Environmental TrustLowther Estates

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Photographs: Ben Barden www.benbarden.co.uk; Aggregate Industries www.aggregateindustries.com
Geologist: Eric Johnson BSc, PhD, FGS, CGeol. Formerly British Geological Survey
Copyright © Millom Geodiversity Project 2009
Millom Geodiversity Project is a not for profit, unincorporated association
Email: info@millomrockpark.org.uk
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