Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and the MoS for Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy, and Space, claims that India has developed the most advanced Steel Road technology in the world. He asserted that the revolutionary Steel Slag Road Technology, created by the CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), New Delhi, which was founded in 1952, allows for the common use of residual steel slag from steel mills in road construction.
A processed steel slag road was initially constructed in Surat, Gujarat, in June 2022 as part of a joint venture initiative between CSIR, CRRI, and NITI Ayog.
Dr. Singh explains that steel slag technology in road paving aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Waste to Wealth” Mantra, addressing environmental degradation caused by waste steel slag and unsustainable mining and quarrying of natural aggregates. The experimental six-lane road demonstrates resistance to weather and heavy trucks, even though the surface is 30% shallower.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) used steel slag to build a durable heavy-duty road in Arunachal Pradesh, India-China border area. Tata Steel Ltd provided the steel slag material, which was transported by Indian Railways. The National Highway Authority of India tested the technology on NH-66. Steel slag roads are 30% cheaper than conventional paving and more durable, lasting ten years compared to three to four years for bitumen roads.
India, the world’s second-largest steel producer, generates around 200 kg of steel slag per ton of production. This waste generates 19 million tons annually and is expected to reach 60 million tons by 2030. The potential valorization of steel slag as processed aggregates offers an environmentally friendly, cost-effective alternative to natural aggregates for road construction. The Science & Technology Minister calls for increased collaboration between CRRI, government think-tank NITI Aayog, Central Ministries, engineering institutes, and private sector steel majors to increase road construction scale and promote industry sales.
India now has the second-largest national highway system in the world, behind the US, after expanding by 59% during the previous nine years to reach 1.45 lakh kilometers. Since 2014, the rate of building has increased, from 12 to 29 km/day. In less than 100 hours, India built 112.5-lane kilometers of bituminous concrete road in May. Dr. Jitendra Singh inspected the Mobile Cold Mixer-cum-Paver and Patch Fill-Pothole Repair Machine before launching the CSIR “One Week One Lab” program.
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