Work on renovating pavements along 23 roads in T. Nagar, taken up as part of the Smart City project, is on at a brisk pace.
The Chennai Corporation, through its Bus Route Roads Department, has completed 60% of the work on these concrete roads, located in the Kodambakkam zone.
The Corporation has already executed several pavement renovations, though not under the Smart City project, along roads such as N.S.C. Bose Road, Pantheon Road’and Police Commissioner’s Office Road.
Under the Smart City project, the civic body plans to have pavements with ‘zero’ obstructions for walkers. It also aims to even out pavements and put up walls around transformers.
Pedestrian pathways
A senior Corporation official said pedestrian pathways would be provided with benches, bollards at strategic junctions to prevent two-wheelers from using pavements and ramps for ease of access for the physically challenged to switch from the road to the pavement. A dedicated cycle track with coloured tiles will be been installed along some of the roads. Taking into consideration the security aspects, the civic body would provide for installing closed-circuit television cameras on the footpaths. The Corporation would also provide ducts for utilities.
Prominent among the 23 roads where pavement renovation is on are Parangusapuram Street, Dr. Gopala Menon Street, Aziz Nagar 2nd Street, Lodi Khan Street, Raman Street, Kannadasan Street, Sadullah Street, Moopparappan Street, Sarojini Street and Guild Street. The project is being executed at a cost of ₹14.53 crore. The official said except in two streets, the work would be completed by June-end.
On roads where residential-commercial zones are located, the Corporation has kept one side of the road for parking. The official pointed out that the pavement expansion project on roads located around the proposed Pondy Bazaar Pedestrian Plaza would complement the pedestrian plaza.
