KUWAIT CITY, March 21: In the aftermath of the recent rainfall, certain highways and internal roads across the country experienced gravel flying, while streets treated with improved bitumen mixture by the Ministry of Public Works remained unaffected, reports Al-Jarida daily. This problem, which first emerged in 2014, prompted the formation of a specialized committee by the Public Works Ministry to investigate the causes of gravel flying post-rainfall, as per Ministerial Resolution No. 1 of 2014.

The Ministry disclosed that it had undertaken various executive measures based on the committee’s recommendations to address road deficiencies. These measures included amendments to contract specifications, such as obligating contractors to conduct dynamic examinations of earthworks before layer spreading, and limiting bitumen technical specifications to “60/70” specifications only. Among the committee’s recommendations was coordination with the National Petroleum Company to design new asphalt mixtures and enforce standards for project engineers, requiring a minimum of seven years’ practical experience in the field and completion of qualifying training programs.

Furthermore, the Ministry outlined 11 conditions for improving bitumen and repairing asphalt, including ensuring project engineers adhere to assigned responsibilities and implementing asphalt works controls. The discount system for asphalt works was replaced with a system compelling contractors to rectify all defective works. Studies conducted to develop asphalt specifications for the Gulf region highlighted the necessity of using bitumen performance “10 - 76 PG” to address Kuwait’s climatic conditions. This superior performance requires the addition of polymer improvers to enhance bitumen properties. The Ministry affirmed its commitment to repairing roads as per announced contracts and by the previously recommended conditions and specifications, aiming to eradicate the issue of flying gravel effectively