Bhubaneswar: Officials of the smart city project are on the job to make it easy for commuters to spot their destinations. The project has taken off in the city with the authorities replacing the old signage with the old ones.

The Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL), the special purpose vehicle executing the smart city projects, has chosen new spots to put up the signage. The signposts are being installed on the new adaptive traffic signal posts and the plan is to expand the initiative at other such places in the city. The first phase of the Rs 42.82-lakh project is expected to end in September.

"We have installed some signage on a pilot basis and are inviting proposals from bidders to complete the job. The tender process will be over in June and the project will be complete by September," said a BSCL official.

The pilot project has been implemented at five locations, which include Housing Board Square, Institute of Engineer Square, Nicco Park Square, DM School Square and Anand Bazaar Square. The next phase will include 45 locations.

For the project, the authorities have divided the city into five sectors - Janpath, Sachivalaya Marg, Ekamra Marg, Nadankanan Road, Bidyut Marg and Lewis Road.

"We will first install the signage on the new traffic poles and later shift to the others," the official said.

At present, the signage are installed mainly at city junctions, though most of these are in dilapidated condition.

"The works department is also helping us in the signage project," said the official.

Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena said the signage would help people find important city spots with ease.

"In the proposal, it was mentioned that new signage should be weather resistant and have longer lifespan. The new signage will be on retro-reflective boards to increase visibility," said Jena.

Patia resident Priya Pritam welcomed the move to install modern signposts.

"Local residents might not need them, but the signposts will come handy for visitors to the city. I hope the installation will be completed on time," said Priya, who is a corporate employee.