Nitin Gadkari targets ‘pothole free’ highways by December-end, says policy in works

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PTI reported. Road Transport and Highways Secretary Anurag Jain, who briefed the reporters along with Gadkari in New Delhi, said the ministry has done the mapping of the entire national highways length of 1,46,000 kilometres and is firming up performance-based maintenance and short-term maintenance contracts to remove potholes by December this year. For the upcoming highway construction projects, the government is likely to issue contracts under the Built-Operate-Transfer (BOT) mode, as Gadkari suggested that highways developed under this model are considered to be more resilient and adequately maintained.

Generally, road construction is undertaken through three modes -- BOT, Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC), and Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels. Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! “The roads which are constructed under the EPC mode require maintenance quite early whereas under the BOT mode, roads are better constructed as the contractor knows that he will have to bear the cost of maintenance for the next 15-20 years," Gadkari said.

"That is why we have decided for construction of roads under the BOT mode in a big way," he reportedly added. Noting that rains can cause damage to highways resulting in potholes, Gadkari said the ministry is doing a safety audit of national highways. A policy is being made to ensure the national highways are free of potholes and young engineers will be roped in to make the project a success, he said.