‘Concrete’ step to test longevity of City roads Bangalore, August 5, DHNS: Are concrete roads the future of Bangalore City? To impress upon the State

‘Concrete’ step to test longevity of City roads
Bangalore, August 5, DHNS:

Are concrete roads the future of Bangalore City? To impress upon the State Government the possibilities of low maintenance and longevity of City roads, the Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA) along with the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has embarked on laying of a ''free of cost'' cement road on Hosur Road

A small stretch of 350 meters of road will have a ‘white topping’, in other words concrete coating of 150 mm thickness at an estimated cost of Rs 80 lakh.

Chairman of the Task Force for Quality Assurance in Public Construction, C S Vishwanath told mediapersons the government had responded positively to concretisation of roads in the future.

“There have been a lot of positive responses from Cabinet ministers about concertising most arterial and sub-arterial roads in the City,” said Vishwanath. But at what cost?

BBMP Chief Engineer Chikkarayappa said concertising 2,000 kilometres of arterial and sub-arterial roads in the City would cost nearly Rs 4,000 crore.

The proposal will be placed in front of the Council, he added. The Palike might be toying with the idea but speculations over BBMP’s financial stability may stall the entire idea of concertising City roads. According to the figures prepared by the CMA and the task force, a square meter of white topping would cost the BBMP Rs 1,150, as against the bituminise tar, which is priced at Rs 890. Moreover, if the roads are cemented with reinforcement and completely concreted, the cost could go upto Rs 2,400 per square meter. While this is just the concertising of roads, provision for utility ducts which is mandatory for these stretches will further burden the BBMP.

As indiscriminate digging of roads and replacement of utility lines cannot be done on concrete roads, coordination between civic agencies is another issue the BBMP and the State Government needs to tackle.

Provision for utility ducts

The BBMP has now made provisions for utility ducts on either side of new arterial and sub-arterial roads, which are being laid or asphlated. The Palike Chief Engineer Chikkarayappa on Thursday said utility ducts will be built by other civic agencies like Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) on roads with length amounting to 512 kilometres.

The Palike will have to pay Rs 800 crore to BWSSB and Bescom have estimated a cost of Rs 110 crore for shifting their respective utility lines to either sides of the road.

Highlights

* Cost of one kilometre with white topping: Rs 79.53 lakh
* Service Life: 25-30 years
* Cost of one kilometre with bitumen (tarred) overlay: Rs 62.1 lakh
* Service life: 5 years
* Cost of machinery to be used for laying of cement roads: Rs 90 lakh to Rs 1.3 crore