Is it enough to just construct highways or also important to maintain them?

Roads are one of the oldest and important sources of transportation in India. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was established as a Central Authority in 1995 to develop, maintain, and manage the national highways entrusted to it by the Government of India.

Highways are the country’s main freeways for the interstate movement of goods and passengers. They run the length and breadth of the country, connecting national and state capitals, major ports and rail junctions, and connecting with border roads and foreign highways.

The major two types of highways are the National Highways and the State Highways which are handled and managed by the Central Government and the State Government respectively. The contractors used to be procedurally awarded the contract of constructing the highways, and it was expected that they deliver the work in the stipulated time. There was however were no concept of the maintenance of the constructed roads to contractors again. As a consequence, the quality of roads constructed remained unaccountable and the users of the roads bore the results of poorly constructed and ill maintained roads. But then came a revolution of thought process when the quality of ingredients used and resultant life of the road, started coming under question. How would a establishing a standard for the components used in road construction enhance longevity, reduce maintenance and deliver a safe and high-quality road?

The outcome of this question and thought was insightful information that guided the Government and concerned authorities to take some ground-breaking decisions and craft some avant-garde policies. Today, the Government contracts mandate 1% of the total project cost of all highway projects be used for highway maintenance. It is acknowledged that maintaining the highways are not just the contractor's responsibility but also that of the Government.

If constructing a road is one part of the job then maintaining it is the second and more significant part. With time and the use of highways, the condition of the road stretches due to wear and tear and constant traffic is prone to deterioration. This is a very normal phenomenon. Timely maintenance of the road infrastructure accordingly is critical to preserve and improve the several benefits. Besides safety of the road travelers, and avoiding accidents and serious injuries or an unfortunate loss of life, a well-maintained road also contributes to lack of driving stress on the driver, optimized fuel consumption and reduced maintenance of the vehicles that ply. A safe road with proper signages and facilities ensures transportation of commodities across destinations in time, thus preventing economic losses to businesses.

Since the shaping of Standards was crucial, subject matter experts contributed considering every required aspect to ensure all aspects will be considered. For instance, to the suitability of the aggregate use in pavement construction, it was defined that tests like crushing test, abrasion test, impact test, shape test and the Bitumen adhesion test would be conducted and results reported for compliance of quality.

Bitumen is a recycled component used mainly in constructing asphalt roads. Standards have been defined for its usage and application too. According to the NHAI norms:

• The temperature of the laid bituminous concrete should be above 140 Degrees Celsius.
• The thickness of the laid/ loose Bituminous Concrete before rolling it should be at least 50mm
• A bump indicator test or a riding test should be carried out to ascertain the riding quality of the road.

With growing technologies, road construction formats are changing. The the companies handling the projects claim that the roads constructed are of good quality and the material used is of the top tier. With this, the government along with the highway construction project now also awards the work of highway management to the companies for 15 years. Because of this, the quality of the roads for users is maintained. Technologically advancing, we have now begun to see plastic being used in road construction too. This is done to control and curb the damage due to unrecyclable practices and avoid landfills and related issues of the environment. The standards are now not limited to just the technical part, it also looks at the ESG (Environmental Sustainability Governance). The contracts now carry non-negotiable clauses and regulations for the plantation of trees alongside the highways too. Today, there are also policies in place to hold all road construction work on highways between the monsoon months of May to August.

Shoulders bridges, devices for traffic control, small bridges, Vehicular Underpasses (VUP), Railway Over Bridges (ROBs), and Small Passages for the local traffic to move are some highway facility elements also need regular maintenance for smooth travel as a part of road maintenance. Government has SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) in place for the State Highways and the National Highways for the queries and management of various highway networks. Deceleration lanes and exit ramps are also part of highway facilities and come under this kind of attention.

To ensure good quality of highways NHAI modernizes routine surveys with Drone photography, and regular audits. Management costs are rectified and budgets allocated are revised in accordance to the needs of such projects. These checks help ensure the Standard of construction of Highways, the quality of highways, and the construction. The major development in the road infra sector has been kicked-off on a grand scale with the initiatives and schemes of Gati Shakti and Bharat Mala Pariyojana.

According to a survey by THE TIMES OF INDIA the first 5 months of the year 2022, the death by road accidents has gone up by 7%. This makes us focus on the safety part of not only road maintenance but also on the safety of highway maintenance. The norm for the newly constructed Samruddhi Mahamarga, a speed limit is of 120 kms per hour, but with safety precautions and awareness in place, citizens shall be able to cruise with the required control even at such speeds. Highways are important in the growth of a country and for connecting the nation. We see that it is the contractor's job or the Government’s job to ensure that the highways are maintained on a technical level but the citizens can also help ensure that the surroundings of the roads are maintained and kept clean. Thus, it is not only important to construct good quality Highways but it is also important to maintain them for a smooth function. That way we have a highway taking us towards the progress of our Nation.