Gurugram corporation to procure jet packer machine to speed up road repair

Unlike a conventional hot-mix machine, a jet patcher machine can fix potholes at any time in the year. MCG officials said that jet patcher machines can be used during rains or peak winter season

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) is looking to procure jet patcher machines to repair potholes in a matter of hours, a process that usually takes around a week to complete, said officials on Wednesday.

With the new machines, it will be possible to ensure potholes are filled as soon as they are noticed--which is of extreme importance during the monsoon season. (HT Archive)

Unlike a conventional hot-mix machine, a jet patcher machine can fix potholes at any time in the year. MCG officials said that jet patcher machines can be used during rains or peak winter season, and its pollution-free component also allows its use during high pollution periods in the national capital region (NCR).

“The period between February and May, as well as September are currently the only months in which we can carry out any type of road construction work. We cannot carry out road repair work in June, July, and August due to the rain, or in October, November, and December due to high levels of air pollution. In January, the temperature is too low for initiating bitumen-related work,” said a senior MCG official in the engineering wing, requesting anonymity.

The official quoted above explained that with the new machines, it will be possible to ensure potholes are filled as soon as they are noticed--which is of extreme importance during the monsoon season. He said the jet patcher machine costs around ₹2 crore and takes around five minutes to repair a pothole.

The MCG has floated a tender to empanel an agency that will maintain roads under the jurisdiction of the civic body by using jet patcher machines to fill potholes. Bids for this tender will be opened next Monday.

TL Sharma, chief engineer, MCG, could not be reached for a comment.

In a jet patcher machine, air is dispersed at a high speed from a blower to clean the top road surface, then tar is added over the affected patch at a jet-like speed, then a cold mix is subsequently added.

Both a hot mix and cold mix have the same components, such as asphalt and bitumen. In a hot mix, these components are heated at a high temperature above 300 degrees Celsius, and ideally used in the construction of high-volume traffic stretches, such as highways. In a cold mix, these components are mixed with water and require no heating. Cold mix is ideal for fixing potholes and other repair work.

After the cold mix is added, a final layer of tar is added to even the road surface. Jet patcher machines are usually fixed on top of construction vehicles.

Sewa Ram, associate professor and urban roads design expert at the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Delhi, said that jet patcher machines will help MCG save both time and money.

“With a jet patcher machine, patchwork can be completed within a couple of hours. The other advantage is that the machines are movable and can be transported to any other part of the city on short notice. The biggest advantage, however, is that they will eliminate the need for MCG to float different tenders for localised road repair work. Instead, they can simply use jet patcher machines across the city, thereby saving time and operational costs,” said Sewa Ram.

How a jet patcher machine works

In a jet patcher machine, air is dispersed at a high speed from a blower to clean the top road surface, then tar is added over the affected patch at a jet-like speed, and a cold mix is subsequently added. A final layer of tar is added to even the road surface and the pothole is filled. The entire process takes less than five minutes.