The Buckingham Canal Beautification Project, initiated by the Greater Chennai Corporation under the Smart City Mission, is set to become a reality in a few months.
Under this, residents of Adyar will soon have a facility similar to the T. Nagar pedestrian plaza.
The Buckingham Canal, flowing beneath the elevated corridor of the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) from Thiruvanmiyur to Kasturba Nagar railway stations and running parallel to Rajiv Gandhi Salai, was in a poor condition as garbage and construction debris was dumped into it.
The canal located along the expressway was planned to be improved, and the civic body came up with the beautification project comprising a Miyawaki forest, a pedestrian pathway and other civic amenities covering the three stations.
Saplings planted
A senior official of the Corporation said more than 50% of the beautification project had been completed with the planting of hundreds of saplings for the Miyawaki forest and the construction of a major portion of the pedestrian pathway with paver blocks.
The work, which began in January, was set to be completed by September but was hit due to the lockdown. It was restarted in June, and the contractor had promised to complete the work before October, he added.
As part of the project in the 2.1 km stretch under the MRTS, a children’s play area, an open air stadium for conducting cultural events, an open gym, a sculpture court with seating arrangements for visitors, ergonomically designed street lightings, parking area and well-maintained public conveniences are planned to be constructed for attracting visitors.
The official said the appearance of the MRTS stations along Rajiv Gandhi Salai would undergo a change, and attract people once the project is completed.