The aim will be to rehabilitate the flexible or asphalt pavement, which is the most important and largest component of the ageing national road network. Ministry of Road Transport and highways has requested comments on a draft policy that establishes the technique, its benefits and the selection criteria for identifying national highways that should be rehabilitated.
India currently has a national highway network of about 146,000 kilometres. “As India builds more and more two-, four- and six-lane national highways and motorways, the amount of old assets is increasing, justifying rehabilitation to further extend its life,” a senior government official told ET.
Although there are several techniques and treatments available to strengthen flexible pavementIndia has opted for the thin white coating technique, the official said. In white coating, a Concrete coating It is constructed over an existing bituminous pavement in service. In case of thin white layer, the thickness of concrete is 100 to 200 mm. The technique is widely used in developed countries but has not yet been adopted on a large scale in India.
According to the official, this is expected to extend the life of the pavement by 20 to 25 years, has lower life cycle costs compared to bituminous layer, is durable and requires much less disruption during the process.
In addition, the fuel consumption of vehicles driving on concrete roads is lower than that on asphalt roads, which can save fuel and reduce carbon emissions. In addition, concrete is relatively light in color and therefore reflects light better, absorbs less heat and reduces the urban heat island effect. Improving the reflection of vehicle lights improves safety and reduces energy consumption for outdoor lighting, the official added.
The Ministry recently ordered the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will focus on modernization of existing national highways amid growing concerns over maintenance. According to the directive, National Institute of Health 79 National Highway (original) projects covering around 1,421 km will be undertaken at an estimated cost of ₹1,44,392 crore in this financial year. Of the ₹1,44,392 crore, ₹71,112 crore will be spent on NHO1 projects and ₹73,280 crore on NHO2 projects.
NHO1 projects involve minor maintenance, repair and upgrades to the original national highways, while NHO2 projects often include more extensive upgrades and modernizations to the original national highways, intended to improve highway capacity and safety, accommodate increased traffic and improve overall efficiency.
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