Commuters criticize stone matrix asphalt technology on Bomikhal ROB | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: Commuters are voicing their concerns about the uncomfortable riding experience on the Bomikhal Road Over Bridge (ROB) following implementation of an experimental stone matrix asphalt (SMA) technology during recent repair work.
The works department’s decision to employ SMA technology, which involves fitting stones evenly on the road surface using an asphalt mixture, was met with significant backlash from regular bridge users. Despite authorities’ claims about the technology’s durability, the resulting rough surface has become a major source of inconvenience for daily commuters. “The riding experience on the over bridge has deteriorated significantly,” said Chinmay Kumar Jena, a regular commuter.
He said the conventional plain pavement on the bridge was far superior to this rough surface. “We are concerned about potential damage to our vehicle. There should have been consultation ahead of such experimental implementation,” Jena, a resident of GGP Colony, added.
The situation has been further complicated by the authorities’ decision to extend the SMA surface beyond the initially planned critical points to all three legs of the bridge, covering approximately 300 to 400 metres on each section of the bridge. “This appears to be a waste of resources. SMA technology is typically reserved for roads with heavy vehicle traffic, which is not the case with Bomikhal ROB. Such experimental approaches should be avoided on bridges,” Anil Mohanty, a civil engineer by profession, said.
Local residents from Bomikhal, Rasulgarh, and Saheed Nagar have raised additional concerns about the manual application method used in the repair work. This is the first time that the authorities took up repair work of the bridge ever since its inauguration in 2019. Krushna Puhana, a resident of Bomikhal, observed that labourers were applying the bitumen mix using basic equipment and manually placing stones, resulting in sub-standard finishing. “This should have been done using better machines,” he said.
Tutu Baliarsingh, a Rasulgarh resident, reported that stones are already becoming dislodged from the surface. “The poor quality of manual work is evident. It is getting damaged even as repairs continue,” he said.
While works department officials declined to comment on the situation, city mayor Sulochana Das has acknowledged the concerns. “While we were aware of the repair work, we hadn’t received these specific complaints. We will address this matter with the appropriate authorities,” she assured.
The works department’s decision to employ SMA technology, which involves fitting stones evenly on the road surface using an asphalt mixture, was met with significant backlash from regular bridge users. Despite authorities’ claims about the technology’s durability, the resulting rough surface has become a major source of inconvenience for daily commuters. “The riding experience on the over bridge has deteriorated significantly,” said Chinmay Kumar Jena, a regular commuter.
He said the conventional plain pavement on the bridge was far superior to this rough surface. “We are concerned about potential damage to our vehicle. There should have been consultation ahead of such experimental implementation,” Jena, a resident of GGP Colony, added.
The situation has been further complicated by the authorities’ decision to extend the SMA surface beyond the initially planned critical points to all three legs of the bridge, covering approximately 300 to 400 metres on each section of the bridge. “This appears to be a waste of resources. SMA technology is typically reserved for roads with heavy vehicle traffic, which is not the case with Bomikhal ROB. Such experimental approaches should be avoided on bridges,” Anil Mohanty, a civil engineer by profession, said.
Local residents from Bomikhal, Rasulgarh, and Saheed Nagar have raised additional concerns about the manual application method used in the repair work. This is the first time that the authorities took up repair work of the bridge ever since its inauguration in 2019. Krushna Puhana, a resident of Bomikhal, observed that labourers were applying the bitumen mix using basic equipment and manually placing stones, resulting in sub-standard finishing. “This should have been done using better machines,” he said.
Tutu Baliarsingh, a Rasulgarh resident, reported that stones are already becoming dislodged from the surface. “The poor quality of manual work is evident. It is getting damaged even as repairs continue,” he said.
While works department officials declined to comment on the situation, city mayor Sulochana Das has acknowledged the concerns. “While we were aware of the repair work, we hadn’t received these specific complaints. We will address this matter with the appropriate authorities,” she assured.
