MUMBAI: Even as it is dismantling several dilapidated skywalks across the city, the cash-strapped municipal corporation plans to construct an elevated walkway for Rs 20 crore in Kurla (W).
On Wednesday, the BMC administration tabled before the civic standing committee the proposal to build a 300m-long, 4.3-m wide skywalk from Taximen’s Colony to Shrikrishna Chowk.
"Several skywalks in Mumbai have been declared dilapidated and have been dismantled. Many of those that are still standing are hardly used by pedestrians. Must the BMC spend such huge sums of money on constructing skywalks which have been known to turn into white elephants?-TimesView"
According to civic officials, local elected representatives had demanded that for pedestrian safety and convenience, a skywalk is required in the area that is plagued by traffic congestion.
“The proposed skywalk at Kurla, which will be built using reinforced cement concrete and steel, will have two escalators so that people do not have to climb stairs,” said a civic official. “We will spend around Rs 50 lakh to remove the underground utilities for erecting the skywalk, which is expected to be ready within 15 months.” The BMC has already paid a consultant Rs 28 lakh to design the skywalk and suggest technical details, the official added.
Between 2008 and 2012, the MMRDA built 23 skywalks in Mumbai for an estimated Rs 700 crore and spent around Rs 2.5 crore on their upkeep. The skywalks were later handed over to the BMC for maintenance. Later, the civic body erected a few more elevated walkways in the city.
According to experts, skywalks should last for more than 50 years, but several of the existing structures have become dilapidated and a few had to even be closed for pedestrians. Many of those still standing are considered white elephants; while they are sparsely used, encroachments and unauthorised parking have come up below these structures.
The BMC had recently put on hold the reconstruction of one arm of Mumbai’s first skywalk in Bandra (E) citing financial constraints. The 1.3km skywalk was declared unsafe for pedestrians and closed in 2019. The BMC then roped in VJTI experts to conduct structural audits of all skywalks in Mumbai. The Dahisar (W) skywalk was also shut down because it was found to be unsafe for use.
