Afcons first to complete PQC among 16 packages

 

 

 

After breakthrough at State’s longest and widest road tunnels in the Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg three months ahead of schedule, Afcons notched up another first, it is the first to complete Pavement Quality Concrete (PQC) among 16 packages of the project. Also called construction of rigid pavement, the infrastructure giant achieved the goal in Wardha district for a stretch of 58.31 kms.

Package 2 starts at village Khadki Amgaon and ends at village Pimpalgaon in Wardha district and speciality is that, it is one of the most structure intensive packages in the project. It includes five major bridges, 25 minor bridges, two inter-changes, culverts, pedestrian underpasses, rail over bridges, rain water harvesting arrangements amongst many other features.

 

From start Afcons was able to maintain good speed at PKG-2 and complete construction of rigid pavement (PQC) despite various constraints. PQC activity started in January 2020 and completed in August 2021 and in between three months were lost to Covid-induced restrictions and lockdowns. The highest production target achieved in a single day amidst the pandemic was 1 km,” said Akhil Gupta,’ Executive Director (Operations), Afcons, and BU Head, Surface Transport.

 

For Afcons apart from pandemic another big challenge was unexpected heavy downpour for past two years. Wardha received nearly 60 per cent more rainfall than the average rainfall between June and September of previous years. Though a complete surprise, the company managed to overcome the odds through team work, said Gupta further. PQC is cement concrete made with aggregates in accordance with IRC specifications and laid over a dry lean concrete sub-base.

 

This type of construction is used specifically for highway/expressway concrete pavements and for airport runway pavements as it can take heavy loads. Gupta said Afcons intend to complete finishing activities shortly so that the stretch can be commissioned as early as possible Afcons has the record of completing 126 km of India's longest access-controlled expressway (302-km long Agra-Lucknow Expressway) in just 22 months.

 

In Samruddhi Mahamarg project, Afcons is working in two packages - PKG -2 at Wardha, and PKG-14 at Igatpuri where Maharashtra’s longest and widest road tunnels are taking shape.