Bhubaneswar, May 18: The city administration has decided to take up a major beautification drive along National Highway-5 to charm foreign delegates and guests who will be here for the forthcoming Asian Athletics Games in July.

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, the National Highways Authority of India and Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited will work on the project jointly with landscaping and painting the walls of the flyover between Vani Vihar to Jayadev Vihar being part of the plan.

Sources said the beautification drive would feature integrated artwork where the administration will focus on modern-day paintings as well as those that reflect the life and culture of the state. The city authorities will also install different kinds of sculptures, both modern and ancient.

"We want to show the delegates and guests how good a host we can be. A number of foreign guests will be here for the grand sports event. We need to develop infrastructure to suit their sensibilities too. This will not only help the city in having a good image but also open an option for Bhubaneswar to host more such events in future," said city mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.

The administration has selected five major roads - Janpath, Sachivalaya Marg till Kalinga Hospital Square, Governor's House to KIIT Square, Kalpana Square to Gopabandhu Square via Governor's House Square and Cuttack Road from Museum Square to Samantarapur Square - on which medians and zebra crossings will get a fresh coat of paint. Street lights will be repaired, and wall paintings will come up. Road underpasses near flyovers will also be beautified. Also part of the plan are setting up smart traffic signalling systems along the Kalinga Stadium route, removal of unwanted road side signage and beautification of bus stops.

The administration will hire an expert agency for this project through tendering process, which will be completed in the first week of June and the work will start immediately afterwards. Beside the arterial roads, the beautification drive will also be taken up on the intersections of Jayadev Vihar, Vani Vihar and Acharya Vihar.

"The city has the tag of being the smartest city of the country. It has also received international recognition for its proposal to develop the city under the smart city project. At this crucial time, it is important to show that Bhubaneswar is not an underdog city anymore. We welcome the move," said Gadakana resident Pratik Panda, a corporate employee.

The city administration has also designed a mascot for the upcoming grand sports event, which is an olive ridley turtle. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on May 8 announced the hosting of the event and unveiled the logo as well as the mascot for the games. This will be the 22nd edition of the Asian Athletics Games to be held in the city from July 6 to July 9. The city will also host another such grand event - the men's Hockey World Cup next year.