Kerala - Kochi   

Model road: `trees not to be cut down'

Staff Reporter

Architecture will capture best of Maharajas', Dutch and English: Architect

KOCHI : Putting to rest apprehensions that trees on the western side of the Park Avenue Road will be cut down for the Rs.5-crore model road project of the Tourism Department, the architects of the project have made it clear that no tree which lines the avenue will be cut down for the purpose.

The model road aims at converting the 1.9-km stretch from the Siva Temple Junction to High Court Junction into a road of international standards.

"The carriageway is not being widened beyond a metre or two. The trees on the western side will form a green median, separating the road from the parking lot and open space that has been proposed in the 10-metre-wide area. Only some small trees and shrubs in the parks will have to be cut down," says architect Ajith B.R. of Ajith Associates. A model road has been conceived in each of the five Corporations in the State, to instil some sense of discipline in motorists and pedestrians and to ensure their safety.

In Kochi, members of the public will have the advantage that they will be able to use the newly-acquired portion all throughout for parking and as an open space. The Subhash Park opens only in the evenings. Now there is acute shortage of parking space in front of the District Court.

By declaring the model road a `zero-tolerance zone', no leniency will be shown towards offenders of traffic and other rules. Since all rules will be strictly enforced, the name `model road'. The project has been conceived with the main objective of enabling comfortable and uninterrupted movement of vehicles, while ensuring maximum care for pedestrians.

"The model road will have an average width of 30.5 metres. Aimed at making maximum use of the existing carriageway, the area to be acquired on the Western side will be used as parking space for vehicles, bus bay, slow-moving traffic and pedestrians. Additional pedestrian spaces have been created to locate snack bars, bus stops etc. The sharp curves near the tourist-reception centre and the entrance to Broadway will be smoothened and the road from there to Yathra Auditorium made one way," says Mr. Ajith.

Though February 2006 has been fixed as the deadline for the project, it is expected that it will be over within a year, if everything went on well. The work will be completed in two phases. In phase one, the stretch in between the Siva Temple Junction and St. Teresa's College will be completed.

Walk through memory

The stretch has been named as "Walking through the memory lane". The first part of the stretch has been titled as `Maharaja's Sector'. Lamp posts, pavements, planters, fences, median barricades, street furniture, bus stops, snack bars and pavilions will bear architectural characters of the era when the Kochi Maharajas were at the helm. The plants selected for landscaping will be dominated by jasmine, hibiscus and others.

The second part, from Hospital Road junction to Canon Shed Road junction will rekindle memories of Dutch occupation in Kochi. The third sector will be reminiscent of the English settlement in the port city, says Mr. Ajith.

Service duct

The most important aspect is a service duct through the entire length of the road, on the western side. The duct will carry power and telecommunication cables and water pipelines. This will reduce the need for digging the road. Cross ducts will be provided to connect them to the existing lines.

Signboards will be made using retro-reflective sheeting. Luminescent parkers will be embedded on the road surface. Linear delineation systems will be used for enhanced road guidance. Signals too will be provided.

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