The Hindu               15.02.2014

85% of new roads bad; to be re-laid

Contractors engaged by the Chennai Corporation to lay roads will have to buck up and deliver on quality hereafter.

After
finding 85 per cent of the newly-laid roads screened this week to be of
inferior quality, the civic body has sternly told the contractors to
scrape the roads and relay them as per specifications.

“As
many as 23 of the 27 roads have failed the test on the required binder
content. We have issued notices to the contractors to scrape out the
entire road and carry out the work again,” said a senior official.

From this week, the civic body’s newly-created quality control wing has been enforcing the norms of road re-laying.

Following
a major administrative revamp of the civic body, the 21-member wing
collected samples for ‘core cut sample test’ from 27 roads in the first
few days.

Officials have collected samples from areas
such as George Town, Royapuram and Manali. “Anna Pillai Street in the
busy, commercial neighbourhood of Kothwal Chavadi was re-laid on
February 7. But, with just 2.85 per cent of the 3.3 per cent of bitumen
mix required, the road has failed lab tests. The contractor did a shoddy
job. We have issued notice and ordered the road be laid again,” said an
official of the quality control wing.

Some other roads, such as MMDA 9{+t}{+h}Street, 14{+t}{+h}Street, 102{+n}{+d}Street in Manali zone, also failed the lab test.

R.K. Nagar First Street in ward 57, Umberson Street in ward 56 and Davidson Street in ward 56 have also failed the test.

“We
will visit other parts of the city shortly. Contactors will be forced
to carry out the work again if roads fail the test,” said an official.

A
few weeks ago, the civic body had completed a video-recording of newly
re-laid roads in the 15 zones. Potholes were identified on a few
stretches and contractors were asked to repair them.

But
the new initiative through the quality control wing will facilitate
complete makeover of the roads as the contractors will have to adhere to
quality norms, officials said.

The civic body has
already enhanced the guarantee period of roads to five years, in most
projects. Road contractors have to maintain the stretches in good
condition for the period, as per their agreement, an official said.