Patna, Aug. 5: Don’t be surprised if you come across a new kind of concrete while travelling on the roads in the state capital.

The road construction department has decided to lay mastic asphalt on trial basis in some parts of Patna.

A mastic asphalt road appears smoother than the traditional bitumen road and stone chips are visible at regular distance on the surface. The concrete carries a rubberised look.

“To begin with, we have decided to lay mastic asphalt on the road along the Gandhi Maidan and around the major roundabouts of the city,” a senior road construction department official said.

Giving reasons for this decision, the official said unlike traditional bitumen roads, a mastic asphalt one is more durable even in case of waterlogging as its top layer does not allow accumulated water to percolate to the lower layers. This is one of the major reasons behind the damage caused to the regu- lar roads.

The other major reason because of which this decision has been taken pertains to a high court directive, which says that the height of roads should not be increased while relaying them, the official said.

“The mastic asphalt road would give us freedom from this problem as once it is laid, those relaying it do not need to increase the height of the road. The top level can be removed easily and a fresh layer can be pasted without increasing the height of the road,” said the official.

He said such roads are also friendlier to tyres of vehicles.

Sharing details of the plan, the official said relaying work would start after the rainy season and all the work would be completed within one month of the start of the work.

“A fund of Rs 14 crore has already been set aside for laying mastic asphalt road in Patna and some other major towns of the state where certain stretches are under the jurisdiction of the road construction department,” said the official, adding: “We are beginning with short stretches but if the experiment proves successful, more funds would be provided for replacing the tradition black top roads of cities with the mastic asphalt roads.”

Though driving on mastic asphalt road would be a new experience for Patna residents, but it is very common in cities like Delhi and Calcutta.