A first: City focal points get concrete roads at Rs 25.2 cr

Tribune News Service

Nitin Jain

Ludhiana, October 3

In a first, industrial focal points in Ludhiana have got cement concrete roads, the government has said.

The work to relay 14.12-km stretches of the roads across six phases of the focal points at the cost of Rs 25.2 crore has reached the advanced stage of completion, officials have revealed.

The development assumes significance as the majority of the roads in focal points of the industrial and business hub of the state were lying in a dilapidated condition for the past long time, causing inconvenience to industrialists, workers and residents of the industrial areas.

The funds were released by the state government after Rajya Sabha MP from Ludhiana Sanjeev Arora had taken up the matter with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and had impressed upon him to release the much-needed funds to improve the bad condition of roads in various focal points, owned and maintained by the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC).

The Rajya Sabha MP told The Tribune, here, on Tuesday that the construction work was progressing fast and had already touched 65 per cent completion.

The work had been allotted at Rs 25.23 crore, which was Rs 6.59 crore less than the tender amount of Rs 31.82 crore, to reconstruct 16-km long six main roads with cement concrete across as many focal points in Ludhiana.

He said a time limit ranging between two months and nine months had been fixed to complete the road construction work as per the laid down specifications and quality standards.

According to details, a road measuring 5.35-km-long in Phase V will be built at Rs 8.7 crore within nine months, another 2.2-km-long road in Jeevan Nagar with two lanes of 22-foot-wide each in Phase V will be reconstructed at Rs 6.38 crore within six months, a 1.14-km-long Hosiery Knitwear Road adjoining Phase VI will be relaid at Rs 1.76 crore within four months, a 0.33-km-long stretch of the service road to highway industry adjoining Phase VII will be reconstructed at Rs 67 lakh within two months, a 3.81-km-long road in Phase VIII will be rebuilt at Rs 5.68 crore within six months and another 1.29-km-long road in Phase VIII will also be relaid at Rs 2.01 in three months.

Arora revealed that almost one-third work had already been completed and the balance work of 35 per cent would be finished within the stipulated time frame.

He added that a sum of Rs 16.25 crore had already been spent on the ongoing work while the remaining sum of Rs 8.95 crore would be released as per the progress of the work.

Low cost, long life

Experts said the cement concrete roads, commonly known as CC roads, are known for their durability, strength, and low-maintenance cost. Constructed using a mixture of cement, water, and aggregates, these roads are compacted and cured to form a hard and sturdy surface.

According to them, as compared to asphalt, which typically requires resurfacing or complete repairs every 10 to 12 years, a concrete road has a lifespan of 20 to 30 years and requires minimal maintenance, resulting in lower maintenance costs.

Committed to providing best infra: MP

“Another major demand of local industrialists and industrial workers has been met with the road reconstruction project. The government is committed to providing best in class infrastructure, facilities and work environment to industries while attracting new investments,” Sanjeev Arora, Rajya Sabha MP, said.