The Project Co-ordinating Consultant (PCC) has been entrusted with carrying out the detailed engineering works covering the finalisation of designs, the preparation of bid documents and conducting a technical audit during the execution of the works. The Roads & Buildings Department of the Government of Gujarat will be the supervising agency for the implementation programme. In this context, detailed engineering for the road maintenance programme has been prepared in three phases First Year, Second Year and Third Year. The estimated cost for the maintenance programme is 56 million US$ covering a distance of 804.7 km of state highways, and the maintenance programme has been grouped into 34 contract packages and will be implemented by inviting tenders through National Competitive Bidding.

For the designs and the estimation of various structural and functional components for the maintenance of the road works, data has been collected from traffic volume counts, pavement condition surveys and soil & material investigation surveys for each corridor. On the basis of this data, strengthening has been proposed based on the design of a bituminous overlay. The preparatory work such as repairs to potholes, reconstruction of severely distressed pavement surfaces, crack sealing and the provision of profile corrective course over low sections of the existing pavement has been proposed prior to bituminous macadam overlay. For reasons of economy the maximum thickness of bituminous overlay have been restricted to 75 mm. and the minimum thickness will be 40mm.

It has been observed that surface dressing is an economical road surface treatment and is highly effective. The process is used throughout the world for surfacing and maintenance operations for roads of all kinds. Surface dressing fulfils functions such as providing a waterproof seal to a road surface, improving skid resistance and retarding significantly the oxidation of bituminous macadam layers. It is considered suitable for the roads where the traffic volume is less than 1000 commercial vehicle per lane/day. Surface dressing is a very important maintenance technique, which is capable of extending the life of an existing sound road pavement. In view of this, surface dressing has been adopted as the wearing course in this programme as well as mix seal surfacing.

The Ministry of Surface Transport (MOST) standard specifications for Road and Bridgework's 3rd revision shall apply to the roadwork's to be carried out under this programme. Some of the specifications of MOST have been amended/modified to suit the requirements of particular activities. The modified specifications have been incorporated into the contract bid documents. Necessary drawings, sketches and sequence of activities for maintenance operations have been included in the bid documents as well.

Design and Construction specialists would assist the R&B Department with respect to the design process of surface dressing, specifications for surface dressing plant and in preparation of standard maintenance processes. The specialists would also provide on the job practical training and will demonstrate the use of mechanised surface dressing plant, methods of "cutting back", and preparation of different bituminous grades and the correct method of calibration and performance checking of surface dressing equipment for the plant to be used. The practical training will help the engineers and contractors to adopt this simple and cheaper road surface treatment which would result in savings in cost for future maintenance programme.