In a bid to revolutionize road maintenance and combat the perennial issue of potholes on Indian highways, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is on the verge of introducing self-healing roads across the nation.
This pioneering initiative involves the exploration of innovative technology cantered around self-healing asphalt, poised to transform the landscape of road infrastructure in the country. According to a senior government official speaking on condition of anonymity, NHAI is actively considering unconventional methods to enhance road durability and address the pothole menace plaguing Indian highways. The utilization of self-healing asphalt presents a promising solution, offering long-term benefits by significantly extending the lifespan of roads while minimising the need for frequent maintenance interventions. The technology operates by integrating small fragments of steel wool into the bitumen, the primary binding agent in asphalt. This integration renders the bitumen conductive, enabling it to undergo heating through an induction process. Consequently, the heated bitumen rebinds with the aggregate materials within the asphalt, effectively repairing cracks and pre-emptively preventing pothole formation.
The proposed implementation of self-healing roads comes in response to the alarming surge in road accidents attributed to potholes, which escalated by 22.6% in 2022 compared to the previous year. These accidents resulted in a tragic toll of 1,856 lives lost, underscoring the urgent need for innovative solutions to enhance road safety and infrastructure resilience. While NHAI remains committed to exploring the viability of self-healing asphalt technology, rigorous cost-benefit analyses are underway to ascertain its practicality and effectiveness on a large scale. Additionally, the road transport and highways ministry’s allocation of Rs 2,600 crore for road maintenance in the 2024-25 budget reflects a concerted effort to prioritise infrastructure development and ensure the seamless implementation of groundbreaking initiatives aimed at revolutionising India’s highway networks.
