Jamshedpur: The city is all set to get its second Marine Drive by mid-2019, a move which will help in reducing the traffic volume on the existing 11km road.
The 2.5km C-shaped road along Kharkai river, which will connect Ranikudar near Bistupur with Kadma opening near Adityapur toll bridge, will give heavy vehicles the option of skipping the densely populated residential areas of Shastrinagar and Kadma.
To be constructed by the road construction department, the proposed two-lane road will have a width of 7 metres in most areas barring a few zones which will have a breadth of 5 metres.
It will take off from Bistupur-Shastrinagar Main Road (near Ramdas Bhatta Community Centre) and end near KPS Kadma.
"We have already completed the tendering process for the project at an estimated cost of nearly Rs 7 crore and are awaiting Tata Steel's nod for a small stretch near Jai Prabha flat complex in Kadma, which falls under Tata Steel lease area," said Sanjay Singh, executive engineer, road construction department, Jamshedpur division.
The foundation stone for the project was laid by food and civil supplies minister and Jamshedpur West MLA Saryu Roy in April. The project was delayed because of objections raised by Tata Steel and residents of Jai Prabha complex over the road connecting near their entrance gate.
"After several rounds of discussions, we along with a Deogarh-based contractor have slightly altered the road design taking the objections by Tata Steel into account. We hope to get the NOC soon. As construction cannot commence during monsoon, we plan to start the project in October and complete it by April 2019," a source in the road construction department said.
The existing 11km four-lane Marine Drive constructed by Tata Steel wends along river Subernarekha and, in a smaller measure, the Kharkai. It was inaugurated in June 2015 and provides way for heavy vehicles from city to directly reach Adityapur from Mango without disturbing city traffic.
"Nearly, 1,500 heavy vehicles use the Marine Drive daily. Once the new road comes up, we expect around 200 trucks would use it thus reducing traffic load and mishap threat," said Singh.
