Shimla: Road Tarring Turns Costlier as Bitumen Prices Rise, Hill Roads Head for Rough Patch
Shimla: The cost of road construction and maintenance has shot up sharply after the Centre increased bitumen prices, putting pressure on rural connectivity schemes and state budgets alike across India and hitting mainly the fund starved Himalayan states.
Fresh estimates reveal a steep rise in per-kilometre costs across key road categories under NABARD and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.
Data accessed by HimBumail shows that even the narrowest 3-metre-wide rural roads have seen costs jump from ₹13.75 lakh per km to ₹17.75 lakh per km — an increase of ₹4 lakh.
The impact becomes more severe for wider roads. Construction of 6-metre roads now costs ₹35.50 lakh per km, up from ₹27.50 lakh, marking an ₹8 lakh rise.
For 10-metre-wide roads, the cost escalation is even sharper. The per-kilometre expenditure has surged from ₹41.25 lakh to ₹53.25 lakh — a massive ₹12 lakh increase.
Meanwhile, under AMP/rural roads category, costs have climbed from ₹11 lakh to ₹14.15 lakh per km, reflecting a ₹3.15 lakh hike.
Reacting to the situation, Himachal Pradesh PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh expressed serious concern, warning that the price rise could worsen the condition of already fragile hill roads.
With maintenance becoming costlier, roads across the state may see more potholes, leaving commuters to endure increasingly bumpy and unsafe rides.
Bitumen, the key material used in road surfacing, is a thick, black, sticky substance derived from crude oil during the refining process.
It is the heaviest residue left after extracting fuels like petrol and diesel. Its prices are directly linked to global crude oil markets, making it highly sensitive to geopolitical development.
Experts point out that the ongoing US–Israel–Iran conflict has emerged as a major trigger behind the surge in crude oil prices globally.
Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz — a critical route through which nearly 20% of the world’s oil supply passes — have pushed prices to multi-year highs, tightening supply and increasing costs worldwide.
The ripple effect is being felt across countries like India, which relies heavily on imported crude oil and fossil fuels. As global oil prices rise, refining costs go up, making by-products like bitumen more expensive.
This has a cascading impact on infrastructure projects, transport costs, and inflation.
Officials say the increase is substantial and will force PWD to either revise project budgets or reduce the scope of works.
The ripple effect is likely to hit hill states like Himachal Pradesh the hardest, where road construction is already expensive due to difficult terrain, frequent landslides, and high transportation costs.
Experts warn that unless additional central assistance is provided or rates are revised under schemes like Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, states may struggle to maintain the pace of rural infrastructure development.
WAR thousands of kilometres away is now being felt on the roads of Himachal, with commuters bracing for rougher, costlier rides ahead.
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