VIJAYAWADA: The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has opted for bitumen polymer cold mix technology to restore the damaged roads in the city.
On a pilot basis, the engineering wing of the VMC has started fixing the damaged portion of the stretch near IGMC Stadium on August 10. In all, the civic body officials have identified around 6,000 potholes that have cropped up across the city after recent rains.
V Prasanna Venkatesh, Municipal Commissioner, along with U Sarada Devi, additional commissioner and J V Rama Krishna, chief engineer, examined the repair works undertaken by the engineering staff on MG Road and asked them to imitate the same procedure for filling up potholes across the city as soon as possible.
During the inspection, the officials informed the commissioner that at the initial level all loose material would be removed from the potholes, following which free mix stone chips of about 5 mm would be added and levelled. Finally, bitumen polymer cold mix would be poured into the pothole and water would be added to it. Adding water to the mixture will strengthen the road. The procedure can be used even during monsoons, a time when traditional procedure fails to yield desired results.