The Chennai Corporation is set to start work on the first phase of cycle tracks on the Marina Loop Road.
A 7-km-long cycle track and a musical fountain on Marina beach was announced by the Mayor earlier this year. The civic body, however, has decided to implement the project in phases. Works taken up under the first phase will include design of concrete roads, footpaths, cycle tracks and landscaping along the stretch from Light House to Srinivasapuram.
The architects will hold discussions with the civic body this week. The civic body had earlier prepared estimates for beautification of the stretch at a cost of Rs. 20 crore. Now the proposal has been dropped to integrate other aspects such as cycle tracks and aesthetic lighting arrangement.
The stretch of Marina Loop Road has been in a bad shape for many years. Rise in traffic diverted by the police through the stretch has exposed the deficient civic infrastructure on the stretch. “Unidentified persons dump construction and demolition debris on the stretch. Lorries come at night, dump debris and vanish. We are unable to stop the practice. The beautification of the stretch with cycle tracks may prevent such dumping of waste,” said R. Bommi, councillor of the locality.
The next phase is likely to cover roads such as Wallajah Road and Swami Sivananda Salai.
The first phase is expected to emerge as yet another attempt to beautify the beach. The previous council had spent Rs. 25.92 crore on the Marina beach beautification project, which was completed in December 2009. Last year, the Mayor announced a beach beautification project. But the proposal failed to take off over issues related to resettlement of shopkeepers on the stretch between Triumph of Labour Statue and Light House. However, the beautification of the stretch from Light House to Srinivasapuram is expected to be carried out without any stumbling blocks.
The regulation of shopkeepers on the stretch from Triumph of Labour Statue to Light House and subsequent beautification will be implemented only after a Madras High Court judgment. The High Court, in January, granted an interim injunction restraining authorities from allowing anybody to carry on business and run shops on the entire stretch of the Marina.
