Jamshedpur to be gifted Iconic Road through Straight Mile Road transformation

Tata Steel UISL continuously building and widening road infrastructure in Jamshedpur: MD  

Plans to transform Straight Mile Road into Iconic thoroughfare

Jamshedpur, Jan 15: Steel City’s Straight Mile Road will be developed as an iconic road just like the Mount Road in Chennai and Nandan Kanan Road in Bhubaneshwar.

Tata Steel Utilities and Infrastructure Services Limited (formerly JUSCO) is planning to develop an iconic road from Baridih-Agrico Roundabout to Sakchi to Straight Mile Road to Dhatkidih to Kadma Market, informed Tata Steel UISL Managing Director Tarun Daga.

Addressing a virtual press meet on Saturday, Daga said, “Every major city is built around a main arterial road which becomes iconic and part of history. For Jamshedpur as well, the original city planners 100 years ago had possibly conceived an East-West Corridor to serve the traffic flow and we can work on strengthening this network and create an iconic road from Baridih to Kadma”. He sought the advice of citizens and public representatives.

MD said that roads are the arteries through which the economy moves forward, it provides the foundation for basic infrastructure. By linking producers to markets, workers to jobs, students to school, farms to consumers, villages to cities, roads are vital to any development agenda. He informed that earlier the Town Division used to repair the roads in the city but now this work is being done by JUSCO and in view of the increasing urbanization and industrialization, road development and widening is being done on a continues basis which is a never ending journey.

“Looking at the last decade, this has been carried forward with redesigning and widening of roads and central verges across the city. The re-building of road infrastructure now includes street furniture, green spaces, smart streetlights and tree management (trees are not cut, they are translocated),” he added.

Tata Steel UISL MD informed that the road development work at Jamshedpur has been focused towards improving the quality of travel for citizens with no traffic jams and safer travel with one-way traffic. This is exemplified by the decongestion at Sakchi including the relocation of the bus terminus. This is also seen on the turning across ISWP area towards Tata Motors.

He further said that under planned maintenance activity, routine activity of pot hole repairs and re surfacing is carried out based on inspection process of the road conditions. Every year under maintenance activity more than 1 Lakh square meters of road area is covered, representing 13% of the total road surface. This percentage of maintenance coverage is much more than the specified standards of 5% of the total road surface.

The company is also working on plans to modernise the road infrastructure in Jamshedpur which includes –Bhalubasha Bridge: Rehabilitation work has started and likely to be completed in 2022.Mango Bridge: few improvements are planned and will be completed by March 22. Howrah Bridge: detailed engineering work for rehabilitation is in progress, likely to be completed in 2022, based on which it may be expected to be taken up for improvements in 2023.

Marine Drive: The road is developed over a slag filled stretch. With aging, there are depressions on some stretches. Improving this stretch will need continuous attention.

MD further said that we look forward to citizen’s support in promoting Pedestrian Street crossing and parking appropriate practices.

5 kms roads re-aligned and widened every year

Based on traffic density assessment and decongestion plans, JUSCO reviewed and redesigned central verges and junctions to ease traffic movement; improved intersection, corridor developments; undertook widening of roads and upgradation of roads with multiple lanes for better traffic management. Approximately 56 kms of roads were realigned and constructed in the last decade.

Parking spaces created for 1500 4-Wheelers and 500 2-Wheelers

Since 2013, there has been an attempt to make the “outing experience” of the citizens, comfortable and better, by creating new parking spaces along with upgrading the existing ones keeping in mind the footfalls in and around. The development in terms of Parking Area has been focussed in areas of high congestion.

Talking about the GAIL gas pipeline, MD said that the gas pipeline work is important for the city and it will reduce the carbon emission. Jusco provides basic facilities including electricity, water to the residents of the city, so it is also necessary that the basic facilities should not be interrupted and the work of gas pipeline goes on without hindrance and for the same our team will plan out the work with GAIL team.

Talking about the water supply to Cable Town, MD said that the INCAB case continues to remain pending with National Company Law Tribunal and we cannot give water to the area. As and when we get orders we will start providing water in the area. Tarun Daga further said, “We are committed to provide water in the bustis and the process will start soon and there are plans to provide water supply from Jamshedpur East to Jamshedpur West”.