This road in Bengaluru is leading by example

NT Correspondent
Bengaluru

A new concrete road connecting Ecoworld and the Outer Ring Road (ORR) to ease the traffic congestion in the area has been built entirely from 100% recycled plastic. A joint venture between the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), PotHoleRaja, a road safety social venture, and ORR companies, the road is made of a unique solution called ‘GridMats.’

A total of around 3000 kg of plastic waste was used to construct the road, reducing commute time by 30 minutes. “Made from recycled polypropylene, GridMats are placed above the bedding layer and packed with different filling options, creating a permanent, flat, high-quality surface in less than half the time, and at 20% to 25% cheaper the cost,” explained the release by PotHoleRaja.

Sourabh Kumar, the director, PotHoleRaja, said that commuters exiting Ecoworld must take a Uturn at Bellandur to avoid traffic. ”A well-designed road connecting directly to Ecoworld will cut down on commuting time to a great extent,” he said.

Kumar added that this plastic road consumes 30 per cent less water than traditional concrete roads. “Other than this, the traditional concrete road emitted 46.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide in the construction process, and GridMats emitted only 11.9 tonnes of carbon dioxide,” he said.