THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Putting an end to uncertainties, the renovation of Manaveeyam and Kalabhavan Mani roads under the Smart City Mission project will likely begin next week. The roads have been in a pathetic condition for the past several months and motorists have been bearing the brunt. People from the cultural spectrum of the city are also at the receiving end due to the present condition of the Manaveeyam road. According to a top official of Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Limited (SCTL), the tender for the restoration of the Manaveeyam Road will be finalised this week as two companies have participated in the bidding process.
The tender for the work on Kalabhavan Mani Road is also expected to open this week. The official said the negotiation is in progress with one company and is likely to agree to the price quoted by the Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB), which is the executing agency of the project.
“We are in talks with the companies that participated in the tender process. Negotiations are on with a company. Mostly, we will finalise the tender and award the work this week to start the renovation works by next week. We expect to complete a major chunk of the work on the Manaveeyam Road before May 31, including the road tarring and ground works, if the tender is approved this week. The rest of the work will be finished later without delay,” the official said.
Since work on the smart road began two years ago, the Manaveeyam Road has become a dumping ground for construction materials. Several spots on the stretch have also been dug up. According to the residents, the once-artistic corridor has now become a haven for anti-social elements. The efforts to give this 180m-long stretch a big facelift have now proved detrimental with the work getting stalled on several occasions due to the inefficiency of the former contractors.
Earlier, the SCTL officials had said that the road, the work on which is complete by 70%, would be opened by March 31. They had also said the delay in the work on the Manaveeyam Road was due to the redesigning of the stretch. As per the new design, the bollards proposed at various parts of the road to limit vehicular traffic have been dropped. The new design will be both pedestrian-friendly and allow partial traffic. It will also have open spaces for conducting cultural events.
Recently, General Education Minister V Sivankutty criticised the inordinate delay in the completion of the smart road works at a public function. He mentioned the pathetic condition of the Kalabhavan Mani Road. The state government has given an ultimatum to the SCTL to complete the works before May 31. The ultimatum was given in view of the reopening of schools and the monsoon season. A high-level meeting convened two weeks ago which was chaired by LSG Minister M B Rajesh asked the SCTL to complete the work at the earliest. As per the minister’s directive, the SCTL should submit the progress report of the work every week to the state government.
May 31 Deadline