PWD to build foot overbridge near JNU and IIT

A PWD official said that the traffic on the Vedant Deshika Marg has increased considerably due to the route being used by commuters heading from Outer Ring Road towards Chhatarpur and Vasant Kunj.

The Public Works Department (PWD) is planning to construct a new foot overbridge (FOB) across the Vedant Desika Marg abutting the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) gate and the IIT’s gate number 5, officials said on Monday.

The department has invited bids for executing the project, which is estimated to cost ₹3.9 crore. (REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE)

The department has invited bids for executing the project, which is estimated to cost ₹3.9 crore.

A PWD official said that the traffic on the Vedant Deshika Marg has increased considerably due to the route being used by commuters heading from Outer Ring Road towards Chhatarpur and Vasant Kunj. “As the load on the Adhchini route increases, this route is now being increasingly used as a bypass. Several pedestrian accidents have been reported along this stretch. This will help provide easier access to locals as well as students,” the official said.

The agency executing the project will be hired by January-end and six months’ time will be provided to build the FOB. “It will be equipped with lifts and escalators. We are expecting the FOB to be ready by August,” the official added.

Notably, PWD has initiated multiple FOB and skywalk projects over the last year. Last month, approval was granted for the construction of new FOBs at Kirti Nagar and Uttam Nagar, two high-footfall locations in west Delhi. A third FOB on Pankha Road is also under consideration and is being examined by the FOB committee.

To be sure, experts suggest opting for at-grade or ground level crossings for the people as FOBs have failed to show much purpose in urban planning with people choosing to use the road instead of FOBs.