NHAI trials road made with plastic waste in Gurugram

Gurugram The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Tuesday laid a 70-metre patch of road, made using plastic waste, near Ghamroj and tested the same in

Gurugram The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Tuesday laid a 70-metre patch of road, made using plastic waste, near Ghamroj and tested the same in the evening. It is part of a one-kilometre stretch of the Badshahpur-Sohna road project that will be constructed with plastic.

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Nitin Gadkari, Union minister of road transport and highways, had recently said that the ministry is encouraging the use of plastic waste in road construction, especially on national highways within the 50-kilometre periphery of urban areas that have a population of five lakh or more.

Plastic waste has been used or is planned to be used in roads on the NH-48, near Dhaula Kuan, a portion of Delhi-Meerut Expressway and Gurugram-Sohna Road.

Ashok Sharma, project director, NHAI said, “For the first time in Gurugram, road with plastic waste is being constructed by us.” On Wednesday, a team of senior NHAI and ministry of road transport highway officials will inspect the construction.

Earlier, a 100-metre prototype of such a road was laid in December 2018 by Municipal Corporation of Gurugram in Sector 51.

If the trial proves a success, the NHAI will construct more such roads in the city.

Sunil Kumar, NHAI consultant for this project, said, “Plastic waste is being used in the road, saving the cost of bitumen and enabling a smooth ride. It also reduces fuel consumption and ensures a safer ride for commuters as vehicles don’t skid.”

Roads made with plastic waste drastically reduce the number of accidents. Kuldip Rajvanshi, project director, Gurgaon Sohna Highway Pvt Ltd, said, “Plastic roads last longer and don’t develop cracks or potholes. It has been seen that roads made with plastic hold on to the tyre grips better and reduce the number of accidents.”