Another jolt for Barapullah Road

This is not the first time the Barapullah Road project — the single largest infrastructure project related to the Commonwealth Games — has come under the scanner. The project has had its own share of delays and controversies.

This is not the first time the Barapullah Road project — the single largest infrastructure project related to the Commonwealth Games — has come under the scanner. The project has had its own share of delays and controversies.

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The 3.7-kilometre long road is being constructed to provide quick access to athletes to reach Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main Games venue, from the Commonwealth Games village in east Delhi.

The pedestrian bridge that collapsed on Tuesday and a similar one that is coming up at 200 metres from the ill-fated bridge are part of the overall Barapullah elevated road project. Conceived in 2002, the project ran into rough weather several times since inception.

The Delhi Government, however, went to the union cabinet and got the project to construct the elevated road approved and the Public Works Department (PWD) finally started the work in September 2008.

With several missed deadlines since its inception and just two weeks left for the Commonwealth Games to commence, the pedestrian bridge collapse has given a new setback to the project. "Our road is complete. We now have to see what kind of facility we can provide to pedestrians here," an engineer said.