A new road improvement project's expected to start this summer in Bend.  Transportation experts have proposed a roadway sealing project for the city that uses rubberized chips from thousands of recycled tires.  They say the anti-oxidants, chemical properties, and ultraviolet inhibitors in the chips extend the life of pavement by 5 to 7 years - preventing cracking, increasing flexibility, and adding durability.  The plan is to seal almost fifteen miles of city streets in Bend with the chips in a first of it’s kind project, with the chips supplied by Intermountain Slurry Seal Incorporated at a cost of $414 thousand dollars.