Bhubaneswar: Sachivalya Marg is all set to witness a complete transformation with Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited coming up with a plan to turn this stretch into an urban parkway with integration of landscape, greenery and public plazas.

The transformation will be done in line with the street design guidelines prepared by the Bhubaneswar Development Authority. The proposed design of Sachivalaya Marg - from Airport Square to Acharya Vihar Square - is envisaged to be a complete street with equitable road space for all users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motor vehicles.

"The street will bring in new experience for pedestrians, especially the children, as it will have play areas, activity zones and wider footpaths on both sides. We will also increase the green cover on the stretch. We will not cut the existing trees, but do a translocation of those," said a BSCL official.

The streetscape will ensure consistent motorable road space of six lanes from the existing four for smooth traffic flow. Provisions will be made to create dedicated service lanes near offices and institutions to minimise obstruction on the main travel lanes, thereby reducing the chances of accidents.

Special focus will be given for preparing safer junction designs, including raised tabletop crossings, to facilitate easy road crossings for pedestrians. In line with the proposed modernisation of city bus service and augmentation of the fleet, the redeveloped street will have multiple bus stops on each side and optimum spacing to ensure easy access to public transport.

Besides, the authorities have also planned to undertake redevelopment of the connecting streets, including Udyan Marg, Rajpath, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Madhusudan Marg and Baya Baba Mart. As part of this network, each street will be designed with specific requirements. Mahatma Gandhi Marg will be beautified with pedestrian plazas, while AG Square and Rajpath will have design interventions to improve traffic.

"The street template has got the government nod, and we are ready to rigorously implement it for the city streets. Each and every street of the city - be it small or large - will be redeveloped in uniformity. The redevelopment of Sachivalaya Marg will be undertaken simultaneously with that of Janpath," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.

Sources said that once done, the street will have provisions for creating appropriate parking facilities near vending zones, offices and institutions, along with addition of public conveyance facilities such as seating areas, benches, street furniture, eco-toilets, water ATMs, public plazas, information kiosks and directional signage among others.

"Sachivalaya Marg is indeed one of the major and important stretches of the city housing the secretariat and Assembly among other offices. It is a well-planned road, but in the absence of medians, violation of lanes is rampant here, posing a threat to commuters and pedestrians. It should be taken care of while redeveloping the street," said Biswas Rath, a secretariat employee.