'Thiruvananthapuram Smart City Road Project Set for Completion by April'

Public Works Minister P A Mohamed Riyas assured that the construction of roads in the state capital as part of the Smart City project is on track for timely completion.

The ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of various roads in Thiruvananthapuram are progressing as scheduled. Minister Riyas, during his visit to assess the construction works of roads included in the Smart City project on Sunday, revealed that 38 roads under the Kerala Road Fund Board have been selected for maintenance and refurbishment under this initiative.

Originally, the road works under the Smart City project were assigned to a separate agency, but their inability to meet the deadlines led to a crisis. Prompt intervention by the state government resulted in the removal of the agency, and contracts were subsequently awarded to different agencies to expedite the completion of the project.

Thanks to these changes, significant progress has been made on roads such as Manaveeyam Veedhi and Kalabhavan Mani Road. The Althara-Chenthitta road works are set to meet BM&BC standards, incorporating a cycle lane. Minister Riyas stated that the construction works are scheduled for completion by April 2024, before the onset of the monsoon, and officials have been given clear directives to achieve this goal. Regular review meetings are also being conducted to monitor the progress of the works.

For areas where road demolition is necessary for laying drinking water pipelines, the respective departments will take responsibility for road maintenance. A committee, comprising ministers of public works and water resources along with departmental officials, will coordinate these efforts.

ET