The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Chala road to be made pedestrian corridor

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Friday, Nov 28, 2008
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Chala road to be made pedestrian corridor

Special Correspondent

Cleaner Mobility in Urban Areas project

Subways at Aryasala and East Fort
Foot over-bridge from Thampanoor to Chala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: During rush hours, the Chala market presents the picture of utter chaos with vehicles honking and jostling their way through milling crowds. But all that is set to change.

The market road from Killipalam to the Gandhi Park is set to be converted into a pedestrian zone during daytime, under a project funded by the Central government with assistance from the Global Environment Facility, an international agency that addresses sustainable environment issues.

Titled ‘Cleaner Mobility in Urban Areas,’ the project seeks to promote sustainable, non-polluting modes of mass transport and provide quality facilities for pedestrians on select routes. It will be implemented by the City Corporation with funds from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

The project report prepared by the Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project (KSUDP) also includes the construction of subways at Aryasala and East Fort and an elevated walkway connecting the central bus station at Thampanoor to the Chala market.

Visual appeal

The market corridor is proposed to be paved with interlocking blocks strong enough for vehicular traffic to facilitate loading and unloading of goods after 10 p.m. and to ensure the movement of fire tenders in case of accidents. The 1.5 km-long walkway will have footpaths on either side equipped with modern seating arrangements for pedestrians. The entire street is to be provided with decorative street lamps. The market road would also be landscaped with shrubs and trees for visual appeal.

Parking lot

The proposed parking bay will be designed to accommodate more than 1,500 two-wheelers, 3,000 cars and 63 trucks. It will have toilet facilities, eateries and a trolley collection centre for shoppers to transport their goods to the parking lot. As many as 25 shops will also be constructed in the parking lot.

Under the proposal, the subways will be closed during the night. They would have space to carry advertisements for revenue generation.

The elevated walkway measuring 576 m linking the Thampanoor bus stand and railway station with the Chala market is designed as a vital link in the downtown pedestrian corridor network. The project report proposes the extension of the foot over-bridge on the railway premises to Thampanoor or the construction of a parallel bridge. The over-bridge will continue across the Putherikandam Maidan and join the walkway at Chala. The walkway will be 8 m wide to accommodate shops on each side in alternate spans.

Second option

In a second option, the report proposes an elevated walkway from Thampanoor to Power House road, with the remaining portion up to Chala at ground level.

Project director, KSUDP, Anand Singh said the project was designed to relieve the traffic congestion in the downtown areas of the city. He said the land for the parking lot was yet to be identified.

The City Corporation is expected to generate an annual revenue of Rs.2.48 crore from advertisements on the subways, footpaths and over-bridges, parking fees and shop rentals. The amount is to be used for operation and maintenance of the facilities envisaged in the scheme.

A highly placed official said the project would be a boon to the capital city that was groaning under a crumbling infrastructure.

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