The global increase in freight movement has intensified the demand for durable pavements, with high modulus asphalt (HMAC) or Enrobé à Module Élevé emerging as a promising solution. Originally developed in France during the 1960s, this technology employs stiff asphalt binders, typically penetration grades 10/20 or 15/25, to achieve enhanced load-bearing capacity. However, using such hard asphalt binders often leads to embrittlement at low temperatures, restricting their application in warm or temperate climates. This study explores using crumb rubber modified binder (CRMB) as an alternative asphalt binder for HMAC, aiming to deliver the required stiffness for high modulus applications while maintaining adequate low-temperature performance, resulting in high performance asphalt concrete (HPAC). The first phase involved optimizing the crumb rubber modifier (CRM) content, where 12 % CRM at 60 minutes was sufficient to meet the HPAC stiffness requirement of 14,000 MPa at 10°C and 10 Hz. The Hamburg wheel tracking test further validated the binder’s excellent resistance to rutting and moisture-induced stripping. The disk-shaped compact tension test assessed low-temperature performance, demonstrating that the crumb rubber-modified asphalt concrete offered comparable or superior fracture resistance to the control asphalt binder. These results indicate that CRMB is a viable asphalt binder alternative for HPAC mixtures, especially for implementation in cold-climate regions, where conventional hard-grade binders may fail.