Operators taking up road construction on the build-operate-transfer model are likely to benefit more, if they use cement instead of bitumen, according to the Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA).

A build-operate-transfer operator was interested in the life-cycle cost of road projects, instead of the initial cost, and therefore, cement roads would have a lower life-cycle cost, the association said.

This view, however, is not shared by the National Highways Authority of India and other experts.

The association also said based on tenders awarded by the National Highways Authority of India on the Golden Quadrilateral project, the cost for cement roads was around 10 per cent higher that that of bitumen roads.

As per data supplied by the association, 1,243 km of concrete road contracts were awarded for Rs 5,489 crore, at Rs 4.42 crore per km, while the cost for 2,873 km bitumen roads contracts during the same period was for Rs 4.03 crore per km.

Cement roads would not cost more than 10-15 per cent than bitumen roads, the association said.