New Delhi: The road transport and highways ministry will soon make it mandatory for road contractors to get all expansion joints on bridges and roads certified to avoid mishaps arising out of premature failure or deterioration of joints which may result in accidents.
Though this would mean additional compliance, the government feels it will significantly enhance user experience, bring down accidents and ensure longevity of expansion joints on elevated roads, highways and bridges, a senior official told ET.
The Central Road Research Institute is developing a test facility, the first of its kind in India for expansion joints. It is funded by the road transport and highways ministry and is expected to be up and running in the next three months.
While all new joints being put up will have to be certified, surveys of existing expansion joints across elevated roads, highways and bridges will be carried out to check for their sturdiness and shelf life, according to the official.
Based on the surveys, the government will undertake repair work on priority basis on all roads and bridges and ensure bad quality doesn’t affect user experience, the official said.
The government has set a target to reduce road accidents and fatalities by half by 2030 and faulty expansion joints can lead to damaged roads and bridges which in turn may lead to accidents.
An expansion joint or movement joint is an assembly designed to hold parts together while safely absorbing temperature-induced expansion and contraction of building materials. They are commonly found between sections of buildings, bridges, sidewalks, railway tracks and roads, among other structures.
While infrastructure development is a key priority of the government, it has emphasised on safety across all development work and the road transport and highways ministry wants to ensure safety audits of all aspects and products used in heavy construction, including highways and bridges, the official said.
