Description
The construction of smart roads is an integral part of the Smart Cities Mission, the dream project of our government. The main objective of the project is to enhance the street infrastructure of Tiruppur by laying smart roads that feature excellent pedestrian safety and seamless traffic.
Before the Smart Roads project took shape, there were a lot of issues with the city’s street infrastructure. Tiruppur, being a densely populated city, has roads that are always buzzing with heavy traffic. There weren’t a lot of roads with a broad vision. Most of the roads were narrow and overcrowded. They had numerous bumps and potholes, leading to frequent accidents. Such roads made road commuting difficult for all road users, such as motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians.
The need for well-laid roads was always on the minds of the authorities and the public. When Tiruppur was announced as one of the smart cities of India, the city municipal corporation proposed the smart road project to create safer, smoother, and greener roads in the city. The project was approved, and the TSCL came up with an extensive, all-inclusive Smart Road project proposal that fulfilled the transport and road needs of everyone—people of all age groups as well as those with physical challenges.
The standard best practices were followed to build well designed and equipped smart roads, streets, and crossroads in a number of places in Tiruppur. Both BT (bitumen) and CC (cement concrete) roads are being laid, based on the requirements of the specific locality. A total of 12.342 km has been planned to be covered under Smart Road Phase 2. Smart roads are being constructed by aligning with other public service departments, including drinking water and sewage systems, BSNL, TNEB, and storm water management.
Besides the construction of quality roads, there are other interesting features being installed wherever applicable as part of Smart Road Phase 2. These include: pedestrian pathways, pedestrian crossings, table top crossings, GI fixed bollards, seating made of rubble stone, planter boxes, tree gratings, street lights, water dispensers, on-street parking for two-wheelers and four-wheelers, feeder pillars, stalls for street vendors, sign boards (regulatory, informative, and warning), landscaping, solar powered charging points, LED display panels, tactile flooring, separate cycle tracks, information kiosks, smart poles, litter bins, smart interactive panels, and vertical gardens.
The Smart Roads Phase 2 project is nearing completion, and the public have already started enjoying the benefits of the smart roads that have been completed. The total investment made in the project is Rs. 71.79 crore.
