The Clock Tower, one of the icons of the city in Hampankatta demolished for road upgrading works nearly two decades ago, will be re-built under the Mangaluru Smart City Mission.
Mangaluru Smart City Ltd., a special purpose vehicle constituted for implementing the projects under the mission, has proposed to re-construct it at an estimated cost of ₹ 90 lakh.
Mayor Kavita Sanil told reporters here on Wednesday that the memories of the Clock Tower near the University College (erstwhile Government College) have still not vanished from the minds of the people. It would be re-built in the same place near the college.
Mohammed Nazir, Commissioner, Mangaluru City Corporation, who is also the Managing Director of the company, said that the 21-m high tower will have clocks on four sides. Bids have been invited to construct the tower. The bids would be opened on January 15, 2018.
In addition, the company has invited bids for taking up three more projects under the mission.
Those projects are adding additional facilities on the road between the Clock Tower and A.B. Shetty Circle at an estimated cost of ₹ 7.56 crore (smart road project); building 22 bus shelters, of whom seven with e-toilets on the side, at a cost of ₹ 4.8 crore; and re-laying underground sewage pipeline in the Nellikai Road area to an extent of 2.3 km at a cost of about ₹ 5 crore.
The Commissioner said that the median of the road between the Clock Tower and the A.B. Shetty Circle would be re-built with barricades. But the carriageway (on which vehicles ply) of the concrete road would remain the same.
The Nehru Maidan side of this road would be re-built with a drain and facilities for laying utility lines and flow of storm water and footpath. The same side would have landscape, ornamental lights and benches.
The Public Works Department building side of the road would be reconstructed with drain and footpath. The same side would have eight bus shelters.
Street-lights on the stretch would be replaced. This road would have a smart pole with wi-fi facility, air quality monitoring unit, CCTV cameras and display board.
Bids invited for this project would be opened on February 5, 2018.
The bids invited for building 22 bus shelters and re-laying underground drainage line would be opened on January 29, 2018.
