THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has given an ultimatum to the Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Limited (SCTL), the implementing agency of the smart road project, that all the works in connection with the plan should be completed before May 31.
This follows the inordinate delay in the completion of the construction of smart roads in the capital as part of the Smart City Mission initiative. The ultimatum was given in view of the reopening of schools and the monsoon season.
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 last week had 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. A ministerial assessment will be held again in May to review the progress.
An SCTL official said the work is going on round-the-clock on 16 roads of the corporation. “At present, the tender has been awarded to 16 roads out of 40, and the works are progressing swiftly. All these are pocket roads, and hence, we will be able to complete the work on time if the weather permits,” the official said. Apart from 16 smart roads under the city corporation, work on three roads under the Kerala Road Fund Board – Manaveeyam Road, Kalabhavan Mani Road, and VJT Hall-Zam Zam Junction road – is also expected to be completed before the arrival of monsoon.
“Two contractors turned up in the tender process for the refurbishment of Manaveeyam Road. Similarly, the work on the Kalabhavan Mani Road is also in progress. Both these roads could be opened before May 31. The tender for the longest smart road, the Althara-Attakulangara stretch via Vazhuthacaud and Thycaud, will be opened between April 26 and 30. As it is a big project, we do not expect it to be completed before the monsoon. However, all the patchwork on the stretch will be completed and the road will be made motorable at the earliest,” said on official with the KRFB.
Althara-Attakulangara stretch
The actual deadline for the completion of the work on the Althara-Attakulangara stretch was June 2023. The KRFB invited a tender and finalised the contract in late 2021. But, the contractor failed to execute the work in time and also invited criticism from the public, prompting the KRFB to cancel the contract. A fresh tender was called recently to expedite the project.
In the first phase, the stretch from Althara junction to the Thycaud overbridge near the Government Hospital for Women and Children will be made ‘smart’. In the second phase, the road from Thycaud to Attakulangara will be developed. The widening and beautification of the stretch from Althara to Attakulangara have been long-pending demands of the public.
The work will give more focus to the development of the Vazhuthacaud junction. The 2.5-km road will get a major facelift with a white concrete topping and streetlights on the median. The cables will be laid underground.
Project progress