The Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has adopted the mechanised mastic asphalt technology to fix potholes, road and junction repair work in the twin-city. Mastic is a hot-poured, polymer modified liquid asphalt that is pre-mixed with light weight aggregate.
The technology allows for mastic asphalt baked in a plant away from the city to be carried in a large boiler mounted on a truck where a high temperature has to be maintained for keeping the mastic in a pourable state. The surface is then sprayed with a white powder which acts as a coolant.
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Apart from pressing jet-patcher machines into service, the civic administration has been trying several methods including cold mixes and the conventional concrete and bitumen laying process to repair damaged and pockmarked roads in the twin-city.
While the earlier methods had certain limitations, the mastic asphalt technology provides a durable, and consistent wearing surface with a long service life. Moreover, it is economical and can be laid quickly, restricting road closures and traffic disruption to a minimum, officials said. The pothole menace in the twin-city has always been a matter of concern for the civic administration-especially during the rainy season.
Notably, the public works department attached to the MBMC has rolled up its sleeves to lay a concrete top on all major roads in the twin-city — a project that, once completed, could put an end to the menace of potholes and broken roads. Roads with concrete toppings would increase their lifespan exponentially by up to 25 years.
