THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Manaveeyam Road, the cultural corridor of the state capital, is all set to be opened to the public before Onam. According to Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Limited (SCTL), the implementing agency of the project, only road tarring and footpath laying works are pending.
“The tarring works will begin in a week while the laying of the footpath will start in two weeks’ time. Other beautification works will be carried out simultaneously. The Kalabhavan Road will also be opened within two weeks as the works are nearing completion. The lack of rainfall has helped the work gain momentum,” said a senior official with the SCTL.
The stretch had turned into a dumping ground for construction materials since the work began two years ago. Several spots on the road were also dug up. Though the corridor was scheduled to be opened by March 31, the work was delayed due to the redesign of the stretch. As per the new design, the bollards proposed at various parts of the road to limit vehicular traffic will not be installed. The new design will be both pedestrian-friendly and allow partial traffic. It will also have open spaces for conducting cultural events. Earlier, there was a plan to build a stage for cultural performances, but it was scrapped due to the escalation of costs.
However, there will be seating areas, street food outlets, merchandise shops, water kiosks, and a street library. The street is being developed spending Rs 3 crore.
Althara-Attakulangara smart road to be delayed
The state government’s decision to call the tender for developing the Althara- Attakulangara road into a smart stretch is still pending. With this, the work of developing the stretch is set to be delayed further. In June, the Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB), the implementing agency of the project, opened the tender, and only one company, Sree Dhanya Constructions Limited, participated in the process. However, their quoted amount was 40 per cent higher than the bid amount.
Therefore, the decision was left to the state government. Sources said the state government is going ahead with the re-tendering of the project again. The original deadline for completing the Althara-Attakulangara stretch, the longest smart road in the project, was in June. However, the contractor failed to meet the deadline, leading to the KRFB cancelling the first contract.