Delhi: Take Signature Bridge from Nov, but no aerial view till Jan

NEW DELHI: After many missed deadlines, Signature Bridge will finally be opened for public on October 31. However, Delhiites will have to wait at least till next January to enjoy the panoramic view of the city from the top of the bridge.
The bridge, which aims to reduce the travel time between north and northeast Delhi, had hit many roadblocks related to funds, missing multiple deadlines.

But the work is almost finished, said an official of Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC). "We will honour chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's commitment made after his inspection of the bridge work in May," he said.
After the bridge is thrown open, the work on the watch tower is likely to be carried out at night. "We are opening the bridge keeping the congestion in mind. The bridge will reduce the travel time for many people," said another official.
The Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation will meet traffic police officials next week to take a final call. "As of now, we have submitted a proposal to allow vehicular movement between 5am and 11pm, and undertake the work at night," he added.
The initial cost of the project was Rs 887 crore, which has now escalated to Rs 1,574 crore. DTTDC had sent the revised cost estimate to the public works department (PWD). In July, the expenditure finance committee of the Delhi government had approved the PWD proposal for the completion of the construction work at a revised cost estimate of Rs 1,518 crore after it considered a report by Central Public Works Department. As the cost of the project has shot up considerably, PWD had sought "expert opinion" on the revised estimate from CPWD.
Conceptualised in 2004, the project got the nod from the Delhi cabinet in 2007. The first deadline was fixed ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games but it was revised to 2013. The project was then to be completed in March this year but due to delay in fund sanctioning, the deadline was shifted from June to October.
The bridge will be the first asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge in the country, which will be 675m long and 35.2m wide.