From scientifically designing roads to providing concrete capping to tarred roads and introducing a road-annuity scheme, the City Corporation is planning a new course regarding road development in the city.
Briefing reporters after the one-day road conclave here on Sunday, Mayor Tony Chammany said that the Corporation would approach the State government with the proposals that came up at the conclave.
Construction of roads would be undertaken after carrying out detailed assessment of the climatic and weather conditions of Kochi. Such an assessment was not done for most of the city roads that were laid decades ago. Scientific analysis of the local weather conditions, soil tests and selection of technology for laying roads were important. The city roads would have to be re-laid with improved specifications to withstand the fury of nature and the heavy traffic pressure, he said.
All the key city roads should be scientifically re-laid after carrying out detailed analysis and studies on the speciality of the terrain and the volume and nature of vehicular traffic through them, he said.
The option of applying a thin layer of special concrete over tarred roads for extending their life would be tried shortly, said K.J. Sohan, chairman of the Town Planning Standing Committee.
Such a coating, which was successfully tried in other parts of the country, would prevent the damage caused to the road surface, he said.
Road-annuity scheme is another option which is under the active consideration of the civic authorities. Under the scheme, the corporation would entrust an external agency with the building and maintenance of roads for a period, and the Corporation would make annual payments to the agency for the work, said Ajith B. Patil, Corporation Secretary.
The proposals that came up at the conclave would be submitted to the State government for follow-up action, Mr. Chammany said.
