Govt to construct Delhi’s longest skywalk at ITO junction

There are 25 big offices at ITO, besides two Metro stations, the Tilak Bridge railway station and seven major arterial roads converge here. The PWD of Delhi government will construct the skywalk to ensure that pedestrians do not have to walk on the busy road to reach the Metro stations or cross roads.

The Delhi government has sanctioned Rs 54.84 crore for the construction of a skywalk at ITO.

ITO is one of the most congested and busy traffic junctions in Delhi. Besides several big offices, the area has two Metro stations, a railway station and several major traffic crossings.(Saumya Khandelwal/HT Photo)

With the two Metro stations and a railway line and major traffic crossings within one km, the Public Works Department (PWD) wants to have the longest skywalk of the capital at ITO. It will connect offices and entry/exit points of Metro stations.

Read: Delhi roads not safe for pedestrians, finds study

“There are over 25 offices at ITO, besides two Metro stations, the Tilak Bridge railway station and seven major arterial roads. The heavy traffic volume and crowd makes it an accident-prone area for pedestrians,” said PWD official, explaining the need for the skywalk.

”Because of the new Metro station at ITO, the crowd at the junction has gone up,” said a PWD official.

Currently, there is only one foot overbridge on the Vikas Marg in front of the ITO building. Recently, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) constructed a subway, allowing pedestrians to cross Vikas Marg, BSZ Marg and the DDU Marg. However, there is no foot overbridge or subway at the Pragati Maidan Metro station crossing putting lives at risk.

PWD said one foot overbridge (FOB) should connect the footpath of Sikandra Road (towards Tilak Marg) to the parking lot near Pragati Maidan Metro station across Mathura Road. The deck of this overbridge could be linked to the proposed structure being constructed by the DMRC near Pragati Maidan Metro Station. One ramp may also be provided for access to Tilak Marg footpath near Supreme Court.

Read: Kejriwal says no more odd-even in Delhi, focus now on public transport system

“Another FOB may start at the point on the Railway Lane (College Lane) near the Tilak Bridge Railway Station and may be connected to the first FOB at under the Metro viaduct. The third FOB may connect the footpath of DDU Marg to the lane near the drain on the other side of the Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg,” the official said.

Besides, the government has also sanctioned Rs 25.16 crore for repair of Ring Road from Mayapuri flyover to Punjabi Bagh flyover.