Kochi: MG Road was the main artery of this city till recently. Of late, it has lost his rhythm, with businesses lining along the road moving into red even as the Metro construction work gained pace.
Come March and the first Metro train will zoom along the Aluva-Maharaja’s College stretch. Will the Metro change the face of MG Road? KMRL has plans to give MG Road a facelift, to make it bustle with business activities and also to attract people.
According to its plan, pedestrians will get prominence in the stretch between Banerji Road and Jos Junction. Vehicular traffic will be allowed only on one side of the road, while the other side will be exclusively for cyclists and pedestrians. Roads running parallel to MG Road such the Chittoor Road and Shanmugham Road will be developed to divert more vehicular traffic.
But is it wise to have development at the cost of an existing road? Kochi answers with an example.
Broadway was once Kochi’s business hub, before MG Road claimed the title. MG Road retained the title of the biggest business corridor in the state for decades, before it started losing its sheen. There was a time when all prominent automobile dealers had their showroom on the stretch. Today, they have shifted to the bypass between Aroor and Edappally.
The decline of MG Road started much before the Metro work. Once the construction started, potholes dotted the road with drains getting clogged, flooding the stretch during the rains. And motorists started looking for alternative roads.
A change is inevitable for MG Road to regain its lost glory, especially when the Metro commences its schedule in March. Restoring the stretch alone won’t help it bounce back, since it has inadequate facilities for shoppers. Lack of parking space is the biggest problem here.
The KMRL is planning to pave tiles on the 2.5km stretch besides setting up street furniture. A cycle track will be constructed parallel to the tile-paved stretch. A lawn will separate the cycle track and promenade while small trees provide shade to the people. Flowering plants will add to the beauty of the stretch.
Cleanliness will attract people, and with the availability of Metro, people need not bring their vehicles. Still, there will more parking space than now when the plan is implemented. Such space will be created between the Metro’s 90 pillars.
Drains and cable ducts will be passing under the footpath. Space will be earmarked for vehicular access to businesses on the stretch. In such places, bollards will be placed across the cycle track and promenade.
An added attraction is that the 2.5-km will be disabled-friendly. The footpath will have special tiles helping the blind access the Metro.
For those who don’t feel like promenading the stretch, they can catch the Metro or take an electric rickshaw that will be introduced here.
Beautification in nine months
Talks on how to make MGRoad a busy area attracting pedestrians led to the beautification plan of the stretch.
Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the agency that financially fuels the Metro, offered help to develop the stretch. Metro’s non motorized transport consultant chose architectural firm Aegis to implement the plan, which is modeled on the French city, Lyon, at an estimated cost of Rs 21 crore. The plan will be executed in nine months.
People’s representatives and the city corporation have sanctioned the project, which has the support of the majority of business establishments. A few merchants have opposed the plan, and once a consensus is reached with them, the beautification work will commence.
