The Jammu and Kashmir Economic Reconstruction Agency (JKERA) on Wednesday started work on rigid concrete pavement (RCP) of the Civil Secretariat-Rambagh Chowk road here at a cost of Rs 9.16 crore, a technology used in the Kashmir Valley for the first time.
The work on the sub-project being executed under the World Bank-funded JTFRP (Jhelum Tawi Flood Recovery Project) was kick-started in the presence of JKERA Chief Executive Officer Syed Abid Rasheed Shah.
JKERA officials told Shah that the 1.9-km-long road stretch is being upgraded with an objective of making the flood-vulnerable portions of the Indira Gandhi road resilient to floods by using the rigid concrete pavement technology.
The conventional flexible pavement is more susceptible to damages during water logging, the officials said.
They said the road portion is being upgraded at about Rs 9.16 crore and will be strengthened with the laying of three layers comprising GSB (Granular sub-Base), DLC (Dry Lean Concrete) and the final layer of PQC (Pavement Quality Concrete).
The project has a timeline of 12 months and will directly benefit thousands of people living on both the sides of the road that include Rambagh, Solina, Allochibagh, Tulsi Bagh, Hazuri Bagh, Magarmal Bagh, Saraibala, Shaheedgunj, Maharaja Bazar, Bakshi Stadium and Batmaloo.
Shah also inspected the progress of work on the rigid concrete pavement of 1.49-km Peerbagh-Humhama road portion of the Indira Gandhi road in Srinagar.
The JKERA officials also informed the CEO that work on road stretch is in full swing and as on date, the work on 500 metres of road stretch has been completed.
This is for the first time that rigid concrete pavement technology is being used at a large-scale for upgradation of roads in Jammu and Kashmir, an official spokesman said.
The technology is being used as a long-term protection against the recurrent damages caused due to the frequent water-logging during the torrential rains and to make the vital road stretch leading up to to the Srinagar International Airport more durable and flood resilient.
Similarly, another significant road in the Srinagar city, which is also vulnerable to recurrent damages due to water logging eastern foreshore road around the Brari-Nambal water body in downtown Srinagar is also being upgraded using the rigid concrete pavement technology under JTFRP.
Shah directed the engineers to complete all the necessary formalities that are prerequisite for the start of work on other road sub-projects.
He also directed engineers to closely supervise and monitor the progress of works under execution to ensure that timelines for the completion of these works are met and all the quality-control parameters of the works are fully complied with.