Station-Jugsalai Road, the steel city’s gateway from Tatanagar station, is looking more cheery and streamlined.

From Tuesday, Tata Steel utilities arm Jusco started planting the attractive foxtail palm (Wodyetia bifurcata) on the central verge (median or divider) on the 700-metre-long stretch between Tata Pigments and Jugsalai railway crossing roundabout. About 20 workers were deployed to plant the palm on the divider. Jusco will soon build a landscaped traffic island on Station-Jugsalai Road close to Jugsalai railway crossing.

Also from Tuesday, the construction of a much-needed divider on the Jugsalai-Bistupur stretch of the same road started. This new divider would streamline traffic from Tata Steel power house gate in Bistupur to Jugsalai railway crossing roundabout, a distance of about 600 metres.

The Bistupur-Station-Jugsalai stretch sees a daily traffic of over 60,000 vehicles, including cars, two-wheelers and autos. It also has a dedicated cycle track from Tata Pigments to Jugsalai railway crossing roundabout for those who practise regularly.

However, over 5,000 cyclists, a bulk of whom are casual and contractual workers of Tata Steel, have to jostle with bigger vehicles on the road.

To stem this, the divider on the Jugsalai-Bistupur stretch was vital, Jusco spokesperson Rajesh Rajan said, calling it a long-term solution for the accident-prone portion.

“Construction of a divider on that road that passes along Tata Steel’s power house gate will help check mishaps,” said Rajan, adding it would help cyclists and two-wheelers a lot.

Regular commuters appreciated both the beautification and the divider.

“The Station-Jugsalai Road assumes significance as it connects the steel city with Tatanagar. Visitors to the steel city coming here by train will be impressed by the latest initiatives of Jusco,” said Sumanta Banerjee, a self-employed resident of Sonari.