PUNE: The ministry of road transport and highways has given recommendations and standard operating procedures for selection of manufacturers, suppliers of various types of bearings and expansion joints for bridges on national highways and other centrally sponsored schemes.

The recommendations have been given to the chairman of national highways authority of India (NHAI), chief engineers of the state governments, public works department and highways department. "Most of the projects are implemented by various executing agencies such as NHAI , public works department, mainly, on corridors where the responsibility of designing, construction, and implementation lies with the contractor. It is also relevant to mention here that highways projects are constructed as per the guidelines laid down by the ministry. "

Moreover, engineers are also engaged for supervision, ensuring quality of all the components of roads and bridges. Since construction of the structures, including bridges are integral part of the project stretches, the bridge components cannot be separated from the overall performance of the project as a whole.

Therefore, at present empanelment for the bearings manufactures and manufacturers of the expansion joints may not be of much relevance. As such, the responsibility for providing expansion joints and other bridge components under any mode of implementation lies with the contractor and also with the engineer," the recommendation stated.