Mangaluru: In an attempt to make Kadri Park and the musical fountain here more attractive to tourists, the government has come forward to upgrade the road in front of the Kadri Park into a ‘Smart Road’ under the ‘Smart City’ initiative.

Under the smart city initiative, the smart road will be created in front of Kadri Park at the cost of Rs 12 crore. This will be a model road in the city, informed Urban development Minister U T Khader on Wednesday.

The road from Padua High School to Circuit House will be converted into a smart road. The existing road will be widened slightly and also beautified. The middle part of the road will house attractive landscaped gardening. All the cables along this road will be laid beneath the footpath. All wires will be underground. Well equipped and attractive designed stores and buildings will be constructed on both sides of the road. These buildings will complement the tourism industry here.

There will be green cover on either sides of the smart road. The road will also have dustbins with radio frequency identification, an automatic waste management vehicle, E-Toilet, WiFi Centre, information board and walkway.

Once the smart road is created, vehicular movement will be restricted. Only people are allowed to walk on the smart road. But, since there are a few residents near Kadri Park, their vehicles will be permitted to make use of the road. Necessary arrangements have been on the smart road for the pedestrians to make use its facilities, informed Mangaluru City Corporation commissioner Mohammed Nazir.

“The road in front of Kadri Park will be upgraded into a smart road under the smart city plan. Rs 12 crore has been reserved for this. There will be a radiant change in the area of tourism,” said U T Khader, Urban Development Minister and District In-Charge Minister.