Bhubaneswar, March 3: The smart city project is set to gift the state capital a gateway at Master Canteeen Square as part of its programme to redevelop a stretch of Janpath.

In the first phase of the Rs 163-crore project, Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) will take up a 5.5-km stretch of Janpath for redevelopment.

The project, also known as the complete street programme, will include five major intersections - Sishu Bhavan Square, Rajmahal Square, Ram Mandir Square, Rupali Square and Vani Vihar Square - that fall on this stretch. The first phase will cover the stretch from Vani Vihar to Sishu Bhavan Square.

The BSCL is preparing a detailed project report for the revamp plan, while the tender to carry out the project has already been floated. The BSCL has also set a deadline of 18 months to complete the entire project.

"The tender for the Janpath redevelopment project has already been floated and we hope to complete the process within the next two months. The selected bidder will be given an 18-month deadline for execution of the project. The bidder will also have to maintain the stretch for the next three years," said BSCL managing director Krishan Kumar.

Canadian firm IBI, the consultant for Bhubaneswar's smart city project, is helping smart city officials prepare the detailed project report for facelift of the 60-metre-wide Janpath.

A source in the BSCL said that other stretches would also be redeveloped in the later phases.

A city gateway will be developed at Master Canteen Square to welcome visitors to the city coming out of the Bhubaneswar railway station. There will also be two knowledge plazas - one at Kharavela Nagar and other at Saheed Nagar - that would provide information to commuters and tourists about the city.

"The surroundings of Janpath have already been selected for the area-based development under the smart city programme, which would see an array of infrastructure projects in the near future. Janpath is one of the main arterial roads of the city, which needs to be redeveloped according to the changing need of the people of the city," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.

The primary objective of the redevelopment project is to ensure a balance between the movement of pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles on the stretch. The redevelopment plan of the stretch includes streetscape design, beautification, landscaping, intersection redesigning and infrastructure upgrade.

The detailed project report also includes placement of three kinds of vending kiosks, such as one-sided, both-sided and open ones. The placements of these kiosks will be decided during the execution of the project. There will also be two types of bus stops - the basic ones for ordinary buses and the Wi-Fi equipped ones for smart buses.

Besides, energy-saving LED lights will be installed for pedestrians and cyclists. There would be smart poles, pelican signals, and modern traffic lights along with smart features, such as e-toilets, water dispensing machines and emergency assistance kiosks.

The stretch will also have a storm water drainage system.

"Janpath is one of the most important stretches of the city because it is centrally located and the availability of various services and utilities around it," said Saheed Nagar resident Suresh Tripathy.

"But unfortunately, the stretch is hounded by unauthorised roadside parking and vending. The unavailability of any signage also leads to frequent misuse of the road. But the road is wide enough and there is enough scope for redevelopment. I hope that the administration will take up the job seriously and execute it in time," said Tripathy.