‘Rapid Road’ failed first test in Bengaluru, but will now be benchmarked for quality and cost

In ‘rapid road’ method, precast slabs are prepared, joined, strengthened and then laid. As an experiment, a 375-metre-long stretch of road has been laid on Old Madras Road. Work was supposed to be completed in 3 days, but took 13 days

Karnataka Government will consider construction of ‘rapid roads’ by using pre-cast technology only after examining its quality and cost, said Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on December 8, after inaugurating the pilot project on the busy Old Madras Road (OMR).

Along with quality, the rate is also very important. “A decision will be taken after receipt of the report in this regard. They had faced several problems at the time of construction of roads in Bengaluru. White-topping will take a lot of time. Traffic has to be diverted. Once laid, it will be very difficult to break the white-topped roads in case of any problems. The rapid road technology is an alternative,” he said.

In ‘rapid road’ method, precast slabs are prepared, joined, strengthened and then laid. As an experiment, a 375-metre-long stretch has been laid on OMR.

“I have come here to inspect the same and given several suggestions. We need to run 20-tonne-plus vehicles on this road continuously and then analyse it. I have sought a report on the impact on the road due to the movement of heavy vehicles. Ultimately, the work must be completed quickly, with good quality and should be cost effective,” he added.

If it is found to be cost-effective, the technology will be used on roads where there is a need to take up white-topping, and on roads that handle heavy traffic, where the work needs to be done quickly. When informed that the cost of rapid road will be 30% more than for white-topping, he said that the cost has to be reduced.

Notably, the ‘rapid road’ stretch on OMR was opened for traffic after missing several deadlines. The repair work was announced on November 23. The pilot project was supposed to be completed in 3 days, but took 13 days. The road sees a large volume of traffic every day, including inter-State transport vehicles.