Corpn team visits Mumbai to study white-topped roads

CHENNAI: With the Chennai Corporation planning
to concretise roads in the city,the civic body recently sent a team of
officials to Mumbai to study how to build white-topped roads.
Sourcessaid a six-member team checkedout concrete roads in areas like
Nariman Point, Chembur and Worlifor threedays.Asenior corporation
official, who was part of the team to Mumbai,said : “We have visited
some of the concrete roads in Mumbai along with officials from the
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. We will submit a report soon.”
Nearly 25% of Mumbai’s road network is being concretized. “Most of the
concrete roads in Mumbai were very good,” said another delegation
member.

Corporation commissioner D Karthikeyan said, “We will
come up with a comprehensive plan before white-topping the roads. After
the roads are laid, they will not be dug up.” “We do not have many
white-topped roads. So we wanted to get some expert opinion before
beginning the work, especially for laying of essential underground
utilities in coordination with TNEB, Metrowater and others,” said a
civic official. The Chennai Corporation has recently identified 1,084
interior road sex tending up to 181km to be relaid with concrete cement
at an estimated costof 90 crore.

Officials said the tenders
would be finalized by the second week of August. They have conducted a
test of white-top technology on 700m of Velachery Main Road.