Several roads in the city are being strengthened by the Highways Department at a total cost of ₹45 crore. These roads are getting stronger top layers after being cold milled or scrapped.
“Milling has been made mandatory, and it is being done for stretches that were re-laid five years ago. Milling costs ₹100 per sqm. At present, the material that is removed is used as filling in embankments,” a source said.
In longer stretches, the strength of the bituminous tar is checked at different locations, and the material is recycled by adding the required bitumen. This is done as part of the road re-laying process, a retired highways engineer said.
Roads, including Tambaram-Mudichur Road, Agaramthen Road and Pallavaram-Thoraipakkam Radial Road, are being milled and re-laid. Surface renewal has to be done once in five years to ensure the road is proper for motorists to ride on, said another source. Some roads, like Medavakkam-Sholinganallur Road, are being widened wherever there is space.
Similar strengthening work is being carried out in nearby divisions too. In Chengalpattu division, a portion of Old Mahabalipuram Road is being re-laid. The work of ₹4 crore is part of a ₹6-crore package.
K. Vaidhyanathan, a resident of Keelkattalai, said it was good that roads were being milled. “All agencies must follow this rule. Even interior roads must be re-laid only after milling. In many places, houses have sunk below road level. They need find a solution for these locations too,” he added.
