After the Khader Nawaz Khan Road, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is set to launch another premium walker-friendly lane in North Chennai, as work on the pedestrian plaza in M.C. Road under Royapuram zone is gathering momentum.

Work to lay cobblestones along the stretch and construct an underground storm-water drain network (SWD) is under way, officials said.

The project is estimated to cost more than ₹24 crore. Delhi-based OASIS Designs is the lead consultant, with Chennai-based Madras Hives serving as the local partner.

“The pedestrian plaza will include cobbled walkways, customised seating, and shaded areas. The plaza’s design allows only limited on-street parking. So, parking facilities are planned about 100 metres away from the core pedestrian area. The road, which functions both as a wholesale market and a retail corridor, will feature a narrower carriageway to reduce traffic. Further, only autorickshaws and two-wheelers would be allowed; other vehicles would be restricted to avoid congestion as well as damage to the paver blocks,” Ronald Deepak R. of Madras Hives said.

The Hindu had earlier reported on concerns over portions of the revamped Khader Nawaz Khan Road being dug up for utility repairs. Sujata Chatterjee of OASIS Designs said: “On M.C. Road, all underground utilities were laid before surface paving. There should be no need for such digging after completion.”

“Due to climate change, the city now receives a large volume of rain over short periods of time. The underground SWD may not be able to handle such huge volumes of water. So, we proposed linking adjoining green spaces to act as water retention areas. Excess run-off would be directed towards the nearby open space to ease pressure on the SWD network, she added.

GCC Commissioner G.S. Sameeran recently inspected the road and directed officials to expedite the work.