Green Construction Technologies and Applications for Transportation Infrastructure: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Transportation infrastructure provides long-term connectivity but generates environmental burdens through material production, construction, operation, maintenance and end-of-life management. This narrative review examines green construction technologies for roads, bridges and tunnels, focusing on recycled pavement materials, warm-mix asphalt, low-carbon concrete, alternative binders, construction machinery, ecological interventions, digital technologies and circular resource use. The review organises the literature around infrastructure life-cycle stages and considers engineering applicability, potential environmental benefits and trade-offs involving durability, cost, constructability and local supply conditions. The evidence indicates that reclaimed asphalt pavement, recycled aggregates, warm-mix asphalt and supplementary cementitious materials have established or emerging practical applications, whereas wider implementation of some alternative binders and digitally integrated systems requires further field evidence and institutional capacity. Environmental outcomes depend on mixture quality, transport distances, production energy, electricity carbon intensity and future maintenance rather than on recycled content or any individual technology alone. Differences in functional units, system boundaries, background data and recycling assumptions limit direct comparison among life-cycle assessments. Implementation is also influenced by technical standards, contractor capabilities, procurement arrangements and local recovery infrastructure. The review identifies priorities for long-term field validation, regional life-cycle inventories, integrated environmental and economic assessment, and stronger connections between digital monitoring and measurable resource and emissions outcomes. These findings support context-sensitive selection of green technologies that maintains required infrastructure performance while addressing cumulative environmental impacts.