Arunachal Pradesh: Road construction near China border sees usage of indigenous technology

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has successfully utilised an indigenous road construction technology to build high-altitude bituminous road sections at the Sela tunnel and LGG-Damteng-Yangste (LDY) road near the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh.

The indigenous technology, 'Rejupave', developed by India’s oldest and premier road research organisation, CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), is beneficial in constructing high-altitude bituminous roads at low and sub-zero temperature conditions.

The 'Rejupave' technology has been successfully utilised by the BRO to produce low-temperature bituminous mixes for the construction of bituminous roads at Sela tunnel and LDY road site at an altitude of 14,000 feet and 18,000 feet, respectively, said Additional Director General (East), BRO, PKH Singh.

"This technology brings down the production and rolling temperature of bituminous mixes by 30 degrees Celsius to 400 degrees Celsius with negligible heat loss in the bituminous mix during transit, despite long haulage time amid snowfall. It will increase the working window of road construction companies of BRO and help us to build a robust road network at a faster pace under challenging conditions," he added.

Principal Scientist of CSIR-CRRI and inventor of 'Rejupave', Satish Pandey, said the indigenous technology's asphalt modifier is a bio oil-based product, which significantly lowers the heating requirement of bituminous mixes besides preserving the bituminous mix temperature during transit.

"The use of 'Rejupave' technology will not only help the BRO to construct roads at sub-zero temperature but also bring down the greenhouse gas emissions in the pristine eco-sensitive mountainous environment of Arunachal Pradesh," he said.

According to him, the road built using 'Rejupave' asphalt modifier in cold climatic regions will have improved long-term durability and better resistance to thermal cracking under low-temperature conditions.

Building a robust road infrastructure at a faster pace on the India-China border is one of the top priorities of the central government to improve the operational capacity of the defence forces.

Construction and maintenance of high-altitude bituminous roads in the border areas in Arunachal Pradesh has been a challenging task for the BRO in the Northeastern state.

During the winter months, the majority of the work on the construction of bituminous roads either gets stopped or delayed as the production of hot bituminous mix for road construction requires increased heating time at high temperatures in a hot mix plant.