CHENNAI: After T Nagar, three more areas in Chennai – Anna Nagar, Todiarpet and Velachery – may also get pedestrian plazas with the city corporation initiating a study on a few packages of roads for utility ducting (an underground passage to carry utility lines such as electricity, water and sewage connections) and creating public spaces.
The stretches near the metro rail station in Tondiarpet and Anna Nagar 2nd Avenue have been finalised while the corporation is in the process of identifying an area in the southern part of the city – mostly in or around Velachery.
“Khader Nawaz Khan Road in Nungambakkam will also be redesigned to have pedestrian-friendly features, but at a later stage,” said a senior corporation official.
The idea is to create a peaceful pedestrian space where residents can also shop in peace, said officials. While many of the features from T Nagar’s pedestrian plaza may be incorporated, urban planners and architects would be put to work to plan different features based specifically on the location.
Meanwhile, work on the `33.8-crore pedestrian plaza in T Nagar began last year after a trial run in 2016 and 2017 and is expected to be completed by the month-end. “Civil work is almost over. Installation of street furniture and colourful planters will be done soon. The cameras on lamp-posts meant for parking management have been installed and the parking management will also be tested soon,” said a smart city official.
In addition, since tenders for redesigning 14 roads around the pedestrian plaza have been finalised, work is set to begin. Work on Sivagnanam Street parking lot is almost completed, the official said.