The Hindu 07.03.2013
The right way forward: lessons for contractors
Contractors in the city will soon be taught to make pedestrian-friendly footpaths.
The Chennai Corporation is set to begin training sessions for contractors, as a number of new projects including the construction of 48 km of footpaths designed with granite kerbs, has been finalised.
The aim of the sessions is to ensure footpaths are designed and built well, making them friendly and safe for residents, thereby ensuring maximum usage.
These footpaths will come up in eight zones — Tondiarpet, Royapuram, ThiruVi Ka Nagar, Anna Nagar, Teynampet, Kodambakkam, Alandur and Adyar. Work on other footpaths on 71 bus routes is also expected to begin soon. Integrated road development under the mega city development mission is also underway in many parts of the city, making these training sessions crucial.
A Corporation official said construction of the new footpaths would be innovative, and the footpaths would ensure there was no hindrance to pedestrian movement. However, since most contractors are yet to be sensitised on the need for optimum design of footpaths with the pedestrian in mind, the sessions were needed, he added.
Contractors who carried out work on earlier footpaths did not focus on minute aspects of the design for comfortable pedestrian movement, the official said.
The impact of the training sessions is likely to be felt in several areas including Valluvarkottam High Road, Sterling Road, Sterling Avenue, Tank Bund Road, Mahalingapuram Main Road, Greams Road, Whites Road, Binny Road, Thiru Vi Ka Road, North Usman Road, Indira Nagar Third Avenue, West Avenue Road, Besant Nagar Second Avenue, Kalki Krishnamoorthi Salai, Besant Nagar Seventh Avenue, Nanganallur Second Main Road, Theagaraya Road and Luz Church Road, where footpaths are due to be restored soon.
