Ministry steps in with stricter rules for highway maintenance

With plans to build world-class highways across the country, the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) has proposed stricter quality control norms to ensure that both highway construction and repairs meet the required standards.

- Subhash Narayan

So, the ministry has decided on periodic audits of all highways, especially six months before the defect liability period (DLP) expires, to ascertain problems on stretches so the concessionaire can rectify the issue.

A ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said maintenance is not very high on contractors' priorities, and they generally don't pay much attention to this aspect of highway building, even when these provisions are built into the contract. So, the official said, these conditions should be strictly enforced with contractors.