VIJAYAWADA: Roads, Buildings, Infrastructure, and Investments Minister BC Janardhan Reddy on Monday launched a pilot initiative near Mandadam village in Amaravati to repair roads using eco-friendly ‘steel slag’ technology. The new method uses Ecofix, a mixture of steel industry waste and tar, to create durable and cost-effective roads.
Janardhan Reddy said the initiative aligns with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s vision of delivering high-quality, pothole-free roads while turning industrial waste into infrastructure assets. Ecofix requires no heating, thereby reducing fuel costs and pollution. It performs well in wet conditions and has been certified by the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) for durability and affordability.
The State government plans to complete national highway projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore within two years, following approvals from Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Ongoing projects worth Rs 70,000 crore have already achieved 80% land acquisition and forest clearances, he said on the occasion.
Major works include the Hyderabad–Vijayawada Greenfield Highway, Vijayawada–Machilipatnam (Rs 2,600 crore, 6 lanes), and Guntur–Nizampatnam (Rs 2,000 crore, 4 lanes). DPRs for these will be submitted soon, the minister affirmed.
To address past setbacks, he said that the government had cleared Rs 922 crore of pending contractor dues.