Skywalk at Santacruz station may be extended till Vakola

Despite a poor response to most of the skywalks built by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the civic body has planned to extend the skywalk at Santacruz (East) railway station from the north-bound lane of the Western Express Highway (WEH) till Vakola.

Activists, however, have alleged that the decision was taken without a definite policy in place.

The plan for the 500-metre extension, from Santacruz railway station to Vakola, is estimated to cost ₹13 crore.

The contractor will be expected to complete the work within 18 months of the work order being issued.

Currently, pedestrians seeking to get to Vakola from the railway station have to descend the skywalk and cross the WEH.

Aditi Patil, a Vakola resident, said, “It will become more convenient for me. During peak hours, this stretch has a lot of traffic leaving no space for pedestrians to cross.”

However, activists have said that the work should be undertaken only after developing a policy to increase useability of skywalks.

Jitendra Gupta, Kurla activist, said, “The skywalk at Kurla station has got better connectivity. However, there are barely few who use it. The authorities should brainstorm on how to make the skywalks in the city more commuter-friendly. Installing escalators is one of the ways to improve the footfall.”