THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has directed Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL), the implementing agency of the smart road project, to expedite all the road work in the stipulated time frame. The instruction was given during a high-level meeting to assess the progress of construction work related to the smart road project led by General Education Minister V Sivankutty and Transport Minister Antony Raju on Tuesday.
As per the update given by the SCTL, renovation works on eight roads out of thirteen under the corporation limits have been completed. The construction of drains and underground seepage to avoid waterlogging and the installation of water supply pipes and electric cables have been completed. The roads in the Fort area will be motorable within a week. The tiling works are in the final stage.
The construction of Tamil School and Taluk office roads will be completed by the end of June. Work on Sree Moolam and Mathrubhumi roads will be finished by July as construction works of the Kerala Water Authority are progressing, while those related to laying sewer lines on the Kothalam-Sreevaraham road are expected to be completed by August.
According to SCTL, the 13 roads are being renovated with the help of the Public Works Department and the Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB). Of these, Manaveeyam and Kalabhavan Mani Road will be completed by the end of June.
The patchwork of the remaining eleven roads is in progress under the supervision of KRFB and will be completed by the end of June, the officials informed the government. Earlier, the state government had given an ultimatum to SCTL that all the work in connection with the plan should be completed before May 31. The ultimatum was given in view of the reopening of schools and the onset of monsoon season. However, SCTL couldn’t meet the deadline.
The SCTL officials said they are trying their best to complete the work as soon as possible. A high-level meeting chaired by Local Self-Government Minister M B Rajesh convened in April had asked SCTL to complete the work at the earliest.