Chennai Corporation begins footpath upgrade; first phase to cover 23 key roads

CHENNAI: The long-pending makeover of footpaths in the city has finally begun, as the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has finalised 23 stretches for the first phase of its ambitious plan to upgrade 200 km of footpaths that come under the Bus Route Roads Department.

The move, which falls under the non-motorised Transport (NRT) umbrella, will entail an initial expenditure of Rs 28.8 crore to cover 18 km in the first phase, with works aimed at making walking safer and streets more accessible for pedestrians.

“Wherever footpaths already exist and are in good condition, they will be retained; missing links will be connected and damaged stretches repaired. Where there is no footpath at all, new ones will be built,” said an Executive Engineer of the BRR Department.

Notably, the project will retain the full width of existing roads, as the widening of pedestrian space will be taken up without encroaching on vehicular lanes.

The list of roads where the work will be taken up includes important corridors such as Basin Bridge Road, Vepery High Road, Dr Besant Road, City Link Road, and Velachery Main Road, and various lanes in Anna Nagar, Choolai, and Chettiyar Agaram. “The damaged or incomplete footpaths will be rebuilt, and new stretches will be added to create continuous, accessible pathways,” officials said.

Each upgraded stretch will feature interlocking block pavements, bollards to deter vehicle intrusion, fibre-reinforced concrete (FRC) gratings, precast saucer drains, and silt catch pits, alongside ramps and other accessibility features suited for the elderly and differently abled. The footpaths will also have improved intersections for safer access to bus stops, Metro Rail stations, etc.

The city’s footpaths remain largely out of reach for persons with disabilities, barring a few well-maintained stretches in affluent areas. “Even if made continuous, the GCC must ensure the surface is even with the existing footpaths,” said Sathish Kumar, an activist and wheelchair user. “The bollards that are installed to prevent vehicles from moving on footpaths are also a barrier for the disabled; so, they should be replaced with wheelchair-friendly designs.”

“The goal is to build a safe and continuous footpath across the 200 km of bus route roads, along with some interior roads which need connectivity,” said Shivani B, an associate from the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP).

This has been a long-due project, as the civic body had adopted a non-motorised transport policy way back in 2014, with a commitment to make the city streets pedestrian, cycle and public transport-friendly by 2018. While that goal has remained largely unmet, officials say the current initiative will make sure the city will be more pedestrian-friendly.

The Bus Route Roads Department oversees about 419 km of stretches across the city, of which 200 km have now been identified for footpath upgradation. According to officials, the plan will be rolled out in phases, with the first tender for the 23 stretches expected to be floated shortly.