By the end of 2019, Mambalam skywalk project would come to fruition
Posted on: 19/Oct/2019 9:54:03 AM
For the last 4 years, the building of the skywalk that would connect Mambalam railway station and T. Nagar bus terminus has been kept pending. The latest news is GCC is confident that this skywalk would come to fruition by the end of this 2019.
Last year, the civic body prepared DPR on the skywalk and this project that was conceived 4 years back took shape is known. It must be taken into account that tenders have been issued 3 times for the project in 2019 but have not been awarded till now. Recently, bids were invited from the contractors for the 4th time and it caught the attention.
According to an official with the bridges department of GCC, it is clear that this skywalk project would definitely take place. He revealed how in 2018 as many as three bidders took part and how because the whole process was online there was lacuna in the documents submitted by the bidders. He added that the bids were rejected and fresh tenders were issued. It is now said that this time successful bidder would be identified.
The successful bidder would get a time of 15 months to finish the skywalk project once the tender is awarded. The project is estimated to cost an amount f Rs 26.27 crores. Important information funds for this project would be got from Chennai Smart City Limited. The important benefit of the skywalk is it would facilitate the passengers to reach T. Nagar bus terminus and Mambalam railway station by avoiding the crowded Usman Road and Ranganathan Street. It must be noted that the structure would align with the Railway Border Road and Madley Road.
For the purpose of entering and exiting the railway station, around 50,000 people use Ranganathan Street and Railway Border Road every day. The footfalls increase to 1.5 lakhs in the festival season and this was confirmed by an official belonging to GCC zone 10. It is worth mentioning here that to facilitate the building of skywalk around 22 encroachments were identified in 2018 and vendors on the Railway Border Road abutting the station compound wall were evicted.
Information collected is the skywalk would measure 600 m in length and 4 m in width and would have as many as 3 entry/exit points. This was according to the GCC officials. Easy access to senior citizens, as well as differently able persons, would be given importance and design of sky walk would be constructed according to that.
