RIYADH: The Roads General Authority, in partnership with the Ministry of Municipal, Rural Affairs, and Housing, has begun conducting a new experiment to cool the roads in the Kingdom. The newly developed technology aims to reduce the heat absorbed by roads during the day. With roads reaching high temperatures of 70 degrees Celsius, the heat they absorb is released at night, which causes a scientific phenomenon known as a heat island. The heat island phenomenon is what keeps people from taking a walk during summer nights, a representative from the Roads General Authority told Arab News. The newly developed technology uses cold pavements, which absorb and reflect less solar radiation, thus reducing the surface temperature of the roads compared to traditional pavement and making temperatures much more moderate during summer nights. The technology has been developed for residential roads and populated areas, including the waiting areas at bus stops and metros and walking areas in residential zones, the representative said. It was tested in two major locations in Riyadh, and results have demonstrated its success, added the representative.   The new technology is part of a series of initiatives taken by the Kingdom to improve the quality of life and lower temperatures, such as a project undertaken by the ministry to paint buildings with specific materials to reduce the heat they absorb. “The Roads General Authority recently opened a central laboratory that is conducting studies to improve the experience of road users in the Kingdom,” the representative added.