26 km of roads in Hubballi to be 'smart'

After a decade-long struggle with bad roads, the city is now experiencing development of roads at several places. The 'Smart City' project has also brought several road development initiatives to make 26 kilometres of roads in the Area-Based Development (ABD) area into 'smart' roads.

Road development works are already on at some places under Central Road Fund (CRF), TenderSURE and other projects, while Hubballi-Dharwad Road is also improved under the BRTS project. Meanwhile, the Hubballi-Dharwad Smart City Limited (HDSCL) has also called tenders to develop smart roads at a cost of Rs 215 crore, which includes maintenance period of minimum five years.

Though road development works are also causing inconvenience for the citizens, at least the process to improve the road condition has begun. Now, tenders are called to develop smart roads in busy areas, under the head of smart street scape and junction improvement of the Smart City project. Duration of these works is 12 months including the rainy season, and maintenance is for five years.

Smart roads with strong and scientific asphaltation, ducts for water pipeline and electricity cables, drainage line, and footpath would be developed at Gokul Road, Nehru Stadium Road, Victoria Road, Durghadbail Road, Koppikar Road, CBT Road, Chennamma Circle, Gokul Road Industrial Estate, Kotilingeshwar Nagar and other areas, in six packages.

"Technical bid for these tenders would be opened this month end itself, and an agency is fixed to conduct regular survey of potholes, billboards and other aspects of roads. Tender is also called to provide basic facilities to urban poor at Ramalingeshwar Nagar, at a cost of Rs 25.50 crore," said HDSCL special officer S H Naregal.

Progress

Meanwhile, after initial delay, Smart City works including desilting of Nalas are completed, spending Rs 2.76 crore. Rs 60.73 crore works including rainwater harvesting, integrated command and control centre, and Tolanakere development are going on or work order is issued. Swimming pool development (Rs 2.43 crore), Mahatma Gandhi park development (Rs 14.7 crore), Nehru Stadium development (Rs 13 crore), and other works are also in the tender stage.

"Among four PPP projects, multi-level car parking (Rs 50 crore) is tendered to City-based SEPL. Designs are almost ready for the development of market places including Janata Bazaar. Smart Health project would be implemented at Chitaguppi Hospital, and Smart School would be implemented at Lamington School. We want to complete the tender process for all works by January," Naregal added.

The HDSCL has also planned to install digital display boards along the main roads, to give information about the project, details of the area, and pollution-level in the area, in association with the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB).