News RoundUp by Descon
Descon Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd.
Urban Infrastructure Development Firm
Revamping India’s Highways Budget 2024-25 Blueprint for CAPEX Growth and Quality Improvement
As India gears up for the Union Budget 2024-25, the spotlight is on transforming the nation's highway infrastructure. This budget will be pivotal in translating capital expenditure (CAPEX) into tangible improvements in road networks, aligning with India's ambitious infrastructure goals.
The Union Budget 2023-24 laid a strong foundation for infrastructure development with a total proposed expenditure of Rs 45,03,097 crore. Capital expenditure saw a notable increase of 37.4% from the previous year, rising to Rs 10,00,961 crore.
A key aspect of the 2024-25 budget should be the emphasis on quality improvement. Over the last decade, highways with four lanes or more have increased by 2.5 times to 46,720 kilometers, while those with two lanes or less have halved. This trend must continue, focusing on constructing durable, efficient, and safe roadways.
MoRTH sets up a control room in Delhi to monitor highway traffic during the rainy season.
“The control room will monitor the problems arising from heavy rains impacting the operations of the national highways; disrupting traffic, accidents due to poor visibility and potholes, waterlogging, road obstruction and landslides. It will remain operational round the clock,” the officials, privy to the development, said.
With monsoon progressing, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has set up a round-the-clock control room in its Delhi office to ensure smooth travel and minimum inconvenience to the users on the highways during the rainy season across states. The special unit will review and monitor complaints about blockades or any damage due to waterlogging and initiate action for their immediate redressal. A periodic roster of officials will be prepared for effective functioning and supervision of complaints.
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Rajasthan Becomes First State to Adopt a Road Safety Action Plan
Rajasthan will be the first state in India to create a ten-year action plan specifically designed to improve road safety. Targeting a 50% drop in traffic accidents by 2030, this plan was backed by Deputy Chief Minister Prem Chand Bairwa in July 2023. As part of the BJP government’s 100-day plan, the plan is being executed by the road safety cell in the Transport Department. Together, the detailed action plans and a strong government policy will help people become more aware of road safety measures and change how they act so they are better followed.
Implementing the safety measures for roads is organized into three key steps: 2025–2027: Focus on basic road safety issues, such as following speed limits and traffic signals. Focus will be put more on safety behaviors like wearing seatbelts and helmets from 2027 to 2030. 3. From 2030 to 2033, advanced mergers will focus on creating safer walking areas and improving infrastructure.
Article of the Week
Stone Matrix Asphalt: A Durable Solution for Modern Road Networks
Sustainable, speedy, and safe highway construction has become extremely essential for ensuring the long-term viability and effectiveness of transportation infrastructure. Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA) has emerged as a promising solution for meeting the demands of modern road infrastructure.
As traffic volumes surge on our road networks, the quest for paving materials with enhanced durability and reliability becomes ever more critical. Traditional options like Bituminous Concrete (BC) frequently fall short in addressing challenges like heavier vehicle loads, increased truck traffic, and elevated temperatures. Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA) emerges as a promising solution capable of meeting the demands of today's road infrastructure.
Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA) offers a significant advantage with its elevated binder content, typically falling within the range of 5.8% to 7%. This higher binder content provides an improved coating on the aggregate particles thereby enhancing its resistance against water infiltration leading to increasing the durability of the mixture. Mitigate bitumen, drain down during both transportation and paving, a small amount of cellulose fibre is introduced into the mix. Furthermore, with over 75% coarse aggregates, the SMA mix is less prone to deformation under traffic loading, enhancing the overall stability and longevity of the pavement.