Streets to get new name boards featuring landmarks at Rs 8 crore

Streets and roads across the city will have new name boards as the Greater Chennai Corporation has floated tenders worth more than Rs 8 crore just a few days before the announcement of urban local body elections.

According to bid documents floated by the Corporation, name boards of interior streets and roads across the city will be replaced with new boards. “The new boards will be digitally printed to ensure better visibility. Tenders were scheduled to be opened on Monday. However, the process has been postponed due to the election. Bids will be finalised after the election,” a source said.

The source added that the project will be implemented under the Singara Chennai 2.0 initiative and Rs 8.14 crore will be sanctioned from the fund. The civic body has also decided to print pictures of prominent landmarks on the name boards.

Recently, the civic body installed new name boards with pictures of landmarks on some roads in Mylapore as a trial and collect feedback from the resident—pictures of Kapaleeswarar Temple, Anna Memorial, Vivekananda statue, Cathedral Church, Napier Bridge, Central Railway station and Light House.

As of now, the streets in the city have digital name boards but most of them in residential areas are in a damaged state.

Apart from the bids for new name boards, several tenders, including reconstruction of new stormwater drains in core city areas, formation of playfields in some localities and opening canteen at the Ripon Building for staff and visitors, have been floated before the announcement of the election. As per the election model code of conduct, the civic body could not float new tenders or issue work orders. However, ongoing works can be continued.