Date:07/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/07/stories/2007070759090300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Corporation revives Chetpet asphalt plant

Staff Reporter

Patching of potholes likely to be quicker

About 100 tonnes of hot mix asphalt can be stocked
Repairs to be made before onset of monsoon

Chennai: Patching of potholes and cuts on city roads is likely to be quicker, now that the Chennai Corporation has resumed the production of hot mix at its asphalt plant in Chetpet.

On Friday, Mayor M. Subramanian re-commissioned the asphalt equipment. He said that production had almost come to a halt in the last three years as road repair was done through maintenance contracts.

The revival of the plant, which has three machines, will ensure that the Corporation can produce and stock about 100 tonnes of hot mix asphalt every day.

Blue metal and tar is heated together to produce asphalt.

Six trucks will carry asphalt to various zones in the city that require road repair daily and the Corporation’s road workers will patch the potholes.

“Repairs will be made before the onset of the North East monsoon,” said Mr. Subramanian.

Corporation Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni and Deputy Commissioner (Works) Ashish Chatterjee, Corporation Council DMK floor leader N. Ramalingam and Congress floor leader Saidai P. Ravi accompanied the Mayor to review the working of the asphalt plant.