Bitumen Spit & Polish On Cracked Cement Road The Nagpur-based Public Works Department (PWD) has undertaken a last-minute repair of a cracked stretch of cement concrete (CC) road on Wardha Road near Khapri, ahead of the BRICS Transport Ministers' Summit. The decision to lay layers of bitumen over the damaged pavement has sparked local skepticism, with residents questioning the rationale behind using temporary asphalt fixes for a road constructed at significant cost and intended to last decades. The work, carried out amid heavy monsoon rains, is part of a broader effort to prepare key roads leading to summit venues, including the approach road to a hotel in Khapri near Mihan, where several high-profile meetings are scheduled. According to officials from the National Highways Division of the PWD, the repair was an emergency measure undertaken just days before the summit, as the monsoon season intensified. The officials admitted that reconstructing the damaged concrete pavement during the rainy period was not feasible. A senior PWD official told The Times of India that the road’s deterioration stemmed from two primary challenges: the presence of black cotton soil beneath sections of the pavement, which compromises structural stability, and the absence of an effective drainage system, which allows water to accumulate beneath the road surface. The repair work has drawn criticism from locals, who argue that the road’s condition highlights systemic issues in infrastructure maintenance. The PWD’s decision to prioritize temporary fixes over long-term reconstruction has raised concerns about the durability of the solution.#nagpur #times_of_india #public_works_department #khapri #brics_transport_ministers_summit
