Madhuban Chowk skywalk likely to open by Nov 30: Delhi CM Rekha Gupta

New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Saturday that the construction of a skywalk and foot over bridge (FOB) is underway at Madhuban Chowk in North Delhi to provide pedestrians with a safe way to move around and is likely to be thrown open to the public by November 30. The project, being developed by the Public Works Department (PWD) along the Outer Ring Road at a cost of Rs 9.62 crore, is 60 per cent complete, she said. The Chief Minister said the skywalk-FOB will provide safe pedestrian connectivity between Pitampura Metro Station, Madhuban Chowk Metro Station and Rohini District Court. She said it will make movement between these key locations easier for Metro passengers, advocates, court staff, people visiting the court and local residents. The facility is being built to enable pedestrian movement at a level separate from the road. Once completed, pedestrians will not have to cross the busy Outer Ring Road at road level, improving their safety and reducing conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles, she said. A dedicated pedestrian route at Madhuban Chowk will also help improve traffic flow and reduce congestion. The project will provide a safe and convenient pedestrian facility in an area where there is currently no grade-separated facility for crossing the road, she said. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that with the opening of the Madhuban Chowk Metro Station, the facility will help improve connectivity between the Metro network and important destinations in the surrounding area, while also strengthening last-mile connectivity. A safe pedestrian route between the Metro stations and nearby destinations will also encourage greater use of the Metro and promote sustainable, public transport-based mobility. She said the Madhuban Chowk project is an important step towards safer pedestrian movement, better Metro connectivity and stronger last-mile connectivity. Once completed, it will make movement between the Metro stations and Rohini District Court more convenient and also help ensure smoother traffic flow on the Outer Ring Road, she said. --IANS rch/uk