Horizon unveils state-of-the-art road equipment

Horizon Construction Company has unveiled modern road equipment that could help reduce road maintenance costs by 30 per cent per kilometre.The Bomag MPH125 road recycler worth Rwf1b has the capacity to cover between 3,000 and 6,000 square metres per day, making it four times more efficient when compared to traditional technology, according to Hans Josef Kloubert, the head of application technology at Bomag Fayat Group, a Germany-based company that supplied the equipment.The automatic equipment has a bitumen injection, which is efficient in road construction.The technology will not only reduce the cost of road maintenance, but also reduce on the rate of environmental degradation during road works, the State Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Dr. Alex Nzahabwanimana, said.“Government is interested in reducing road maintenance costs, so it is ready to support any interventions that will help achieve this goal,” Nzahabwaimana noted during the unveiling of the equipment at Kinyinya, Gasabo District on Thursday.He said that government pays between $1m and 1.5m to rehabilitate one kilometre of a road.“We need innovative technologies to ensure quality roads and sustainable environment. This will enable us to fast-track the second phase of the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS II) objectives.”Eugene Haguma, the Horizon Group of Companies chief executive officer, said the company looks to invest in innovations that will reduce the cost of road construction in the country.“We want to save time while adding value to projects to boost the country’s economic growth,” he said.How the equipment worksThe system is used for mixing lime, fly ash or cement with other materials to strengthen sub-surfaces in preparation for backfill, anti-frost and base layers.The 24-tonne recycler is also used to pulverise the pavement to the required depth, while controlling the working speed in order to maintain the maximum control over the gradation of the reclaimed asphalt pavement with working depth of 25 metres. It also features a turbo-charged 590 horsepower, water-cooled diesel engine that is equipped with an electronic injection system for low fuel consumption. The equipment is the first of its kind in Rwanda, but has been used in other countries, including the United States and European countries.Bomag is currently training local engineers on how to operate the equipment.

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Horizon unveils state-of-the-art road equipment