CG Road, one of the most popular shopping places in the city, is set for a major overhaul. As a part of its redevelopment plan, the 3.5 km stretch, normally bustling with people and vehicles, would be converted into a pedestrian-friendly one, with an estimated expenditure of Rs 33 crore. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) studied some of the busiest roads in different places before finalising the redevelopment plan, which was announced in the civic body's last budget.
Municipal commissioner Vijay Nehra said that the focus of the redevelopment plan is convenience of pedestrians. "There will be more space for pedestrians. Huge canopy has been planned along with the existing trees. A cubing parking system is in the pipeline to reduce traffic congestion on the roads," he said.
Two different types of designs are a part of the redevelopment – one for physical infrastructure, and the other involving smart Internet of Things (IoT) elements. "We are planning to complete the work in a year. There will be street furniture like precast benches, litter bins, mural trees, canopy walkways. The smart elements would include Wi-Fi-based street-light monitoring, smart poles and parking management," he added.