Nagpur: The PWD has laid layers of bitumen over cracked stretch of the cement concrete (CC) of Wardha Road near Khapri in a last-minute makeover ahead of BRICS Transport Ministers’ Summit. The sight of black bitumen being spread over a cement road raised eyebrows, with locals questioning why a road built spending crores and supposed to last decades is already dependent on temporary asphalt repairs.Officials are sprucing up key roads leading to the summit venues, including approach road to a hotel in Khapri near Mihan, where several meetings are scheduled. The patchwork, done amid heavy rain, is aimed at ensuring a smooth ride for international delegates and VIP convoys for the summit.As per sources in National Highways division of PWD, the work was undertaken as an emergency measure, with the summit just a day away and the monsoon in full swing. Officials admitted there was no scope for reconstructing the damaged concrete pavement. A senior PWD official told TOI that reconstruction of a cement road during monsoon is not feasible. The official attributed deterioration of the road to two major challenges. Black cotton soil beneath sections of the pavement has caused instability, while the absence of an effective drainage system has allowed water to accumulate below the road surface.
