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NEW DELHI: Before Diwali festival, the Delhi government will give two major gifts to the citizens, including the such Skywalk at ITO and the Signature Bridge at Wazirabad, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday.
Inspecting the progress of work of the Skywalk along with Delhi PWD Minister Satyendar Jain, Sisodia said about 75 per cent of the work has been completed and it is likely to be thrown open by September-end or early October.
"The work began in April. About 75 per cent of the work is over, and by September-end or first week of October, it should be ready. This, along with the Signature Bridge slated to open in October, would be two new gifts to the people of Delhi before Diwali," Sisodia told reporters here.
The Deputy CM added that the Skywalk would be a "beautiful infrastructure" in the city.
The over 600-metre-long Skywalk will connect Sikandra Road, Mathura Road, Tilak Marg and Bahadurshah Zafar Marg with Pragati Maidan and ITO Metro stations and the Supreme Court.
He said that besides adding to the city's aesthetic look, the Skywalk will also be a boon for decongesting the city.
"From Metro stations here, people would be able to go directly to nearby locations like ITO, Tilak Marg and Supreme Court, without the need to step out on to the street from the stations," he said.
Authorities are expecting a footfall of nearly 30,000 per day once the Skywalk becomes operational. The total expenditure on the project is around Rs 54 crore.
"It will have glass lifts, solar-powered utilities and CCTV cameras. It will be very user-friendly," Jain said.
After his visit to the site, Sisodia shared pictures showing the current status of the Skywalk on his Twitter handle.
"Construction of Sky-Walk (Delhi's most beautiful foot-over bridge) would be complete within one month. It'll help 30,000 commuters daily to cross roads safely, above heavy traffic at Tilak marg crossing," he posted on Twitter.
"Also, #SkyWalkITO is going to be a 'pride place to visit' for every Delhi cisltizen. Above the hustle bustle of ITO, it truly feels like walking in the sky," he further tweeted.
As part of the Skywalk project, a 60-metre-long foot over bridge (FOB) will also be constructed on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg near Hans Bhawan.
Around 25 major offices are located in the ITO area, including the Delhi Police and PWD headquarters, Institute of Engineers, Income Tax Office, Central Excise, DDA office, School of Planning and Architecture, as well as the Supreme Court.
