Works of two stretches in city set for Oct completion

T'puram: The smart road works along the Althara-Chenthitta and Killipalam-Attakulangara stretches, delayed due to the replacement of Kerala Water Authority (KWA) pipelines, are expected to be completed in the first week of Oct. As part of the ongoing efforts, the connection of old branch lines and the charging of new water pipelines on the Althara-Mettukada Road will be carried out on Tuesday.
A senior official from Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd.(SCTL), the executing agency for the project, stated that 90% of the pipeline works will be completed by Tuesday, with any remaining tasks expected to be finished in the next two days.
The official added that the shifting of overhead cables has been completed up to the Sri Mulam Club Junction, with the relocation of electric cables and posts to Chenthitta and Attakulangara to follow soon.
"The final layer of tarring will commence next week, which should take two to three days to complete, weather permitting. We are optimistic that the work will be completed by the end of next week," the official added.
Other tasks, such as footpath construction and streetlight installation, will be completed in Oct. SCTL and Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB), another implementing agency, initially set deadlines for completing the smart roads in May, which were subsequently revised to July and then to Sept 30. Although the first layer of tarring was finished, delays were caused by the laying and interconnection of water pipelines. The Centre has extended the deadline for all smart city projects across the country to March 31, 2025.
Among the key projects, the Althara-Chenthitta stretch is progressing rapidly and is expected to be the first road completed under the Smart City initiative. While the roads are currently usable, officials emphasize the need for retarring to ensure long-term durability and safety. The public has long demanded the widening and beautification of the Althara-Attakulangara stretch, which is a key focus of the project. Initially, the smart road from Althara to Attakulangara was proposed as a single 4.2km stretch, the longest in the city.