Waste management: India’s First National Highway Steel Slag Road Inaugurated

Mumbai: Setting an example of waste management, India’s first National Highway Steel Slag Road section on NH-66 Mumbai-Goa National Highway has been inaugurated. Developed by CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), the innovative Steel Slag Road Technology is converting waste from steel industries into a valuable resource, contributing to the construction of robust and eco-friendly national highways in the country.

JSW Steel, guided by CSIR-CRRI’s technological expertise, completed the construction of a 1 km long four-lane steel slag road section on the Indapur-Panvel Section of NH-66 Mumbai-Goa. Approximately 80,000 tons of CONARC Steel slag were transformed into processed steel slag aggregates at JSW Steel’s Dolvi, Raigad plant for this road. These processed steel slag aggregates boast superior mechanical properties compared to natural aggregates and were utilized in all layers of the road instead of natural aggregates. The road features bituminous and cement concrete steel slag sections on both carriageways.

G S Rathore, Chief Operating Officer, JSW Steel Ltd, commended the collaboration between CSIR-CRRI, JSW Steel Ltd, and NHAI for the success of this pioneering project. Dr. Manoranjan Parida, Director, CSIR-CRRI, highlighted that CSIR-CRRI, in partnership with various steel industries, has effectively utilized steel slag in road construction projects in Gujarat, Jharkhand, and Arunachal Pradesh.

NHAI Regional Officer, Mumbai, and Chief General Manager, Anshumali Srivastava, praised the novel technological features and outstanding performance of the steel slag road section. Shri Satish Pandey, Principal Scientist at CSIR-CRRI and Project Leader of the Steel Slag Road project, shared that the bituminous steel slag road on NH-66 has 28% less thickness than conventional bituminous roads, offering significant cost savings. Both bituminous and cement concrete road sections are approximately 32% more economical than conventional roads, with enhanced durability.

The utilization of processed steel slag in road construction aligns with India’s sustainable infrastructure goals, transforming waste into a valuable resource for the development of modern and environmentally conscious transportation networks.