Sir,
Apropos to the recent press statements by politicians and articles regarding the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway (NH 275), being a Designer and a Project Management Consultant of roads, I highlight the following for easy understanding of a common man.
1. Construction of highways in our country has many complexities like timely acquisition of lands, realignment of existing services, demolition of structures within the Right Of Way and umpteen more.
2. They are seldom addressed completely before handing over the site to the contractor. 3. Meaning thereby that the ‘Approved Work Programme’ is severely subjective and seldom achievable.
4. Progress of each item in the Bill of Quantities is subject to handing over of stretches completely — measurable logically with respect to committed deployment of machinery and manpower resources.
5. Under the circumstances, politicians announcing “Time of Completion” sounds bizarre, to say the least.
6. It will be more appropriate for the Team Leader and the Resident Engineers of various sections to give out statements and not politicians. 7. Even to this date, significant quantities of structures, earthworks, subgrade and pavement works are still pending on the main carriageway, till Mandya. Dasaras come and go. The relevant question is, “are the works being carried out qualitatively.”
8. Pushing for progress invariably results in sacrifice of Quality Assurance and Control procedures. I am not sure if mandatory tests as per Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in the prescribed frequency are being carried out.
9. I say this because the long stretch in and around Ramanagara (wearing course) seems to have developed undulations. This reflects lack of adequate compaction of layers (generally every layer of earthworks shall not exceed 250 mm in thickness).
10. Also, the Ramanagara zone is full of hard rock; and earthworks on hard rock are tricky.
11. I also feel that “backfilling” of a few structures are inadequately compacted and hence have sunk. If so, resurrecting them will be a humongous task.
12. Geometric designs in some elevated sections are poorly conceived; resulting in poor judgement of drivers and thereby causing accidents.
13. Rumblers (white wavy stripes) are provided to caution the drivers approaching steep/sharp curves. Whereas most rumblers are friendly, the ones as we approach Bengaluru are not rumblers but HOWLERS; very rough on shock absorbers/ suspensions.
14. I am not very sure if design factors for cross drainages (culverts and bridges) have been scrupulously checked for “ONE-IN-HUNDRED-YEAR” storms. I say this because of the washing away of a few stretches in the recent rains. If my observation is right, it is an issue of DPR (Detailed Project Report) consultants and may have serious ramifications if cross drainage works (for example, pipe culverts, RCC box culverts, minor bridges and major bridges) need redesigns and reconstructions. So, a lot seems to unfold as the years go by.
Now, a word of serious caution for drivers on this highway.
1. Such highways are generally designed for 80 – 100 kmph. Lane width is 3.50 mts; deemed sufficient to keep the design vehicle within the lane width at design speeds. For excessive speeding, road geometrics are poor to stick to lane discipline; as you tend to swerve out in curves. 2. Drivers need to be conscious of “which lane to use at what speed.”
3. I am afraid our drivers are callous, bordering idiosyncratic. I have seen autorickshaws driving on “kerbside lane” and two-wheelers snaking through all the lanes mindlessly. 4. Also, overloaded trucks drive at low speeds on kerbside lane, severely obstructing lighter vehicles to abide by lane discipline. 5. As a result, passenger cars and LCVs keep jumping all over the three lanes causing confusions, accidents and deaths. Already several serious accidents have occurred on NH 275.
6. So my strong advice as a designer of highways is:
A. Never contemplate covering the distance in 90 minutes — a senseless goal that will expose you to accidents every minute. B. Never criss-cross lanes sharply. C. Always watch the rear-view mirror constantly and while swapping lanes do it, as gradually as possible. D. Be mindful of high concrete “Side Walls” on elevated sections which you are most likely to brush at high speeds. They seem too close to the lane edge. E. Invariably, accidents on such roads are not only fatal but also involve multiple vehicles. F. Frankly, the country is NOT equipped with Governments and DPR Consultants to design efficient Highways that theories assume. G. So, be cautious the moment you hit the Highway.
—V.N. Prasad, Retired Highways Designer and Project Management Consultant
Note: All things considered it seems there is much for course-correction in the works of NH-275. No wonder, Union Road Transport and Highway Minister Nitin Gadkari is going to personally inspect the Highway. See report here
This post was published on December 29, 2022 8:30 pm