Residents in neighbourhoods along the Cooum will soon be able to take a stroll along the river, beginning in Anna Nagar and going up to Marina beach nearly, without worrying about being knocked down by vehicles.
The Chennai Corporation has floated bids this week for construction of walkways along Cooum river at an estimated cost of Rs. 35 crore.
“The walkways were proposed primarily for maintenance of the waterway. The nature trail and walkways in the parks will be interlinked with such stretches to help pedestrians. It will be possible to walk from Anna Nagar to Marina beach after development of all the walkways,” said an official.
Work on some of the stretches is expected to be completed in six months. One stretch of the walkway along the right bank will connect the river mouth near Marina beach with Napier Bridge, at an estimated cost of Rs. 2.9 crore.
Another stretch of the walkway will connect Napier Bridge, Periyar Bridge, Munro Bridge and Chetpet Bridge at an estimated cost of Rs. 2.6 crore. Pedestrian facilities will be designed to connect the stretches later.
The nature trail from College Road Bridge to Munro Bridge will be developed at an estimated cost of Rs. 9.3 crore.
According to the draft ecological plan, floral species such as black wattle, sacred fig, Madras thorn, Indian mulberry, neem, banyan, magizham , Indian cork tree, punnai , sirukkambil , karumugai , shenbagam , bayur tree, kadamba , pavazha malli , vettiver grass, palmorosa, and agave will be planted along the nature trail.
Another stretch of the walkway near Maduravoyal Golden George Road Bridge will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs. 7.3 crore, officials said.
