After another miss, ITO skywalk to be ready by October

NEW DELHI: After inspecting the under-construction ITO skywalk on Saturday, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia announced 75% of the work was complete and the project would be thrown open for use by the first week of October.
The 570-metre-long skywalk seeks to ease pedestrian movement along Mathura Road, Tilak Marg, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and Sikandra Road.It will have a network connecting seven entry/exit points on different roads at a cost of Rs 54 crore. The stretches are crossed by 30,000-40,000 pedestrians every day as per the estimation of Public Works Department (PWD).

Around 75% of the frames has been erected so far. During the foundation-laying ceremony, Union urban development minister Hardeep Puri had said the project would be over by March 2018. But due to several glitches, the project’s deadline got extended four times. After missing the August deadline, it is now expected to be completed in the first week of October, if not by September-end. “In October, we are dedicating two important projects to the people of Delhi — Signature Bridge and ITO Skywalk,” said Sisodia.
“Once completed, this project will become a pride for people of Delhi. Like Signature Bridge, which is one of its kind, ITO Skywalk will also give major relief to the people. It will connect several junctions around the area, helping around 30,000 pedestrians every day.” The skywalk will have glass lifts, escalators, Wi-Fi and CCTV cameras, he added.
Though planned in 2003, the project was finalised only in April 2016. After taking necessary approvals from Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre and Delhi Urban Arts Commission, PWD had floated tenders and the construction started last November.
The skywalk, starting at Pragati Maidan metro station, will have three arms. While one of them will turn left and drop down at Pragati Maidan’s gate number 9, the second arm will open at the ITO crossing. The third arm will go under the metro line and take pedestrians to the entry of the Tilak Lane railway station.
The proposal to set up coffee shops and kiosks at junction points has been junked for time being due to feasibility issues, said a PWD official. “The proposal will be taken up after the skywalk is completed,” he added.