Ghaziabad Aligarh Expressway Pvt Ltd, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) of Cube Highways Trust, in collaboration with EPC contractor Larsen & Toubro Limited, has achieved a milestone by successfully completing the laying of 112.5 lane kilometres of bituminous concrete within a timeframe of 100 hours. This remarkable work commenced on May 15, 2023, at 10:00 am and concluded on May 19, 2023, at 2:00 pm.
The achievement was celebrated in a ceremony attended by Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport & Highways, alongside notable dignitaries including Gen. (Dr) V.K. Singh, Minister for Road Transport & Highways; Santosh Kumar Yadav, Chairman of NHAI; R.K. Bansal, Executive Vice President & Head, Roads & Bridges Business Unit, L&T Construction; Shyam Bohra, Executive Director & State Head, IOCL; P.K. Kaushik, Project Director, PIU Aligarh, NHAI; and Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, RO-UP(West), NHAI. Dr Harikishan K. Reddy, Chairman of Cube Highways and Transport Assets Advisors Pvt. Ltd (CHATAPAL) and Director at Cube Highways Funds Advisors Private Limited (acting as the Investment Manager for the InvIT); Arghya Chatterjee, Vice President & Head – Road Business Segment, L&T Construction; Bovin Kumar, CEO & H.M. Karna, COO of CHATAPAL.
“The achievement has set two records: the longest length of asphalt paved and the maximum quantity of asphalt paved in a single go, totalling approximately 51,396 tonnes,” R.K. Bansal, Executive Vice President & Head of Roads & Bridges Business Unit, L&T Construction.
To accomplish this feat, approximately 51,896 metric tonnes (MT) of bituminous concrete were produced by operating six hot mix plants. The task of laying the bituminous concrete was executed by a highly skilled team comprising pavement engineers, traffic and safety experts, civil engineers, quality control engineers, and plant and machinery engineers. They efficiently managed a fleet of six hot mix plants, 14 pavers, 22 tandem rollers, 11 PTRs (Pneumatic Tyre Rollers), and an outstanding workforce of approximately 1,900 workers.
Bituminous Concrete, a construction material commonly used for developing highways, driveways, and parking lots, played a vital role in this project. It consists of a binding agent known as “bitumen” and a mixture of stone and other aggregate materials. When heated, bitumen acquires a thick, sticky texture akin to tar, which solidifies into a dense surface upon drying.
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, posted his appreciation on social media stating, “A notable accomplishment on a very important highway route. It manifests the importance given to both speed and embracing modern methods for better infrastructure.”
“This project encompasses various towns and cities in Uttar Pradesh, including Dadri, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Sikandrabad, Bulandshahr, and Khurja, serving as a crucial trade route facilitating the movement of goods and contributing to regional economic development by connecting the industrial areas, agricultural regions, and educational institutions,” Gadkari said.
The Ghaziabad project adopted Cold Central Plant Recycling (CCPR) technology to promote sustainability and reduce costs. This innovative green technology involved utilizing 90 per cent of the milled material, equivalent to nearly 2 million square meters of road surface, which was recycled asphalt. As a result, the consumption of virgin materials was significantly minimized, accounting for only 10 per cent. Moreover, this CCPR-based approach substantially reduced fuel consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions, leading to a significant decrease in the project’s carbon footprint.