(a) whether there is any proposal to construct National Highways with concrete or cement instead of bitumen across the country or in some specific regions;
(b) if so, the details thereof, State-wise;
(c) whether any surveys have been conducted for the same; and
(d) the impact on the cost of construction with concrete or cement bitumen and on a per kilometre basis as against all other alternatives?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE
MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS
(SHRI PON. RADHAKRISHNAN)
(a) to (d) Rigid pavement is used as the default mode of construction of National Highways but a provision for considering alternative methodology (including flexible pavements) would need to be clearly provided for. The agencies preparing DPRs for the National Highways projects are expected to bring out the reasons why rigid pavement could not be adopted in specific National Highways project and the cost-benefit analysis of rigid pavement vis-à-vis flexible pavement in each project should be clearly brought out.
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