Deccan Chronicle 08.11.2009

Blend it: Roads get strong

Bengaluru, Nov. 7: People living in areas of the city blessed with roads made out of a of plastic waste and bitumen are having a much more comfortable time while on their bikes or in their cars as these roads are free of potholes and cracks have not surfaced on them as yet.

Busy JC Road and KH Road, which have been laid using the plastic blend, don’t look any different from other newly-laid roads, but are a great improvement on them as they continue to look as good as new although they are used by around one lakh vehicles every day. This is not surprising, say experts, explaining that roads laid using the plastic blend are not easily damaged when exposed to climate changes and heavy traffic.

BBMP too acknowledges that these roads do not require repair for five to six years.

So far nearly 1,000 kilometres of roads in Bengaluru have been laid using the plastic blend. Experts says many more stretches of road should be laid using the same technology, in the interest of their longevity and commuter comfort. So why isn’t BBMP doing so, when it has both the technology and expertise?