To last for a century? 'Rapid road' cracks in a month!

BBMP came up with new tech after asphalted roads became pothole-ridden

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Only a month after Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai inaugurated a road which was laid adopting 'rapid road technology', the road has already seen multiple cracks.

The municipal body, BBMP, had then claimed that the road would last for close to a century or more! The cost of making these rapid technology roads is 30 percent more than white topped roads which cost around 7.5 crore per kilometre.

When the 375-metre stretch – of the total 500 on Old Madras Road in Indiranagar was inaugurated by the CM on December 8 last year, it was claimed that the stretch was laid in a span of 24 hours, and roads which would be laid using rapid road technology in future would be completed in a day and vehicular movement would also be allowed.

After the inauguration, Bommai had asked for details of the methodology - how cost effective and durable it was and other technical aspects of the project. He had also said that since the project was being carried out for the first time, he would wait to see the impact of heavy vehicles on them. The BBMP came up with the rapid road technology after the asphalted roads in the city become pothole ridden making driving on them a nightmare.

They were often damaged even after a light spell of rain or constant movement of vehicles. Rapid road technology involves placing slabs in a consecutive manne with each block manufactured elsewhere and then sent to the field to go through tension tests. They are 5 feet long and 20 feet wide. The engineers involved in the project will have to use a steel tendon in order to pull the precast blocks together and make sure they remain in place. This methodology is often used during the construction of flyovers and bridges.

Rapid road technology was mooted by BBMP chief engineer BS Prahlad who has now said that air cracks may have developed due to stress on the wires and not due to the pressure of vehicular movement. He said that the technology remains good and is not a failure, while the development of cracks need to be looked into.

The BBMP chief commissioner Tushar Girinath had earlier said that Indian Institute of Science (IISc) would be consulted to conduct a feasibility study in order to extend the road project to other areas. BBMP sources have said that the development of cracks was unexpected but the project is not a waste of taxpayers' money as it was undertaken by a private partner.

Ironically, Nalin Kumar Kateel, state president of the BJP, had recently urged his party supporters to focus on combating “love jihad” rather than issues like sewage and roads. Obviously, good roads seem to be the last priority for BBMP.