The Municipality Chowk that would soon get a facelift. Picture by Rakesh K Singh

A smooth ride down wide, green and well-lit roads awaits residents of the city’s township area. A new bypass road is in the offing for motorists.

Encroachment on the roadside would be removed to widen the thoroughfares and median dividers would be constructed. Bushes would be planted on the dividers after lampposts are installed on them.

District magistrate Vinay Kumar told The Telegraph on Tuesday: “The administration has chalked out a plan for a beautification drive of the roads. Encroachment on the 4-km stretch, extending from Gandhi Chowk in the east to Daroga Rai Chowk in the west, would be removed to widen the road. Once that is done, concrete dividers would be constructed in the middle. The lampposts would be shifted from roadside to the dividers, helping create more road space. Bushes would be planted on the divider for a clean and green look.” He added that directions have been issued to the electricity department regarding this plan.

“A bypass road would be constructed by May this year to ease the traffic in the township area,” Kumar said.

Elaborating the plans, the DM added: “The beautification and road-widening work would start from April for which an estimate is being prepared. There would be no crunch of funds for the project.”

The DM said more than Rs 1 crore has been given for the facelift of Ekta Bhavan. The modernised building would offer a host of facilities. A huge hall with attached washroom would also be provided to the district press club as well, Kumar added.

On further modernisation plans in the city, the DM said: “More than Rs 4 crore would be spent on the renovation of Rajendra Stadium, including construction of an indoor hall. A sum of Rs 8 crore has been sanctioned for development of Ambika Bhavani temple at Aami village under Dighwara block, 25km east of the district headquarters. A wedding hall, waiting room and shops would come up around the temple and the ghats would be spruced up.”