CIDCO says 75% of the work has been finished while the rest will be over at the earliest
Veda Ramaswamy, Kharghar
May 20, 2011 - DNA Navi Mumbai
Photographer - Umesh Pawar, DNA
The construction work of the much awaited Kharghar skywalk is nearing its final stages of completion. According to the CIDCO officials, the physical progress of the Kharghar skywalk has been completed up to 75% and the rest 25% is expected to be completed within a period of two months. Conscious efforts are on to conclude the work before the arrival of monsoon for the convenience of pedestrians and commuters.
The skywalk will be the first-of-its-kind in the entire Mumbai Metropolitan Region to have an open type escalator in the entrance foyer portion of Kharghar Railway Station with a ramp for alighting. A cable suspension bridge like the one at Bandra-Worli Sea Link will connect Kharghar Railway Station to the opposite side of the Mumbai-Pune Highway. One arm of the skywalk extends from the suspension bridge to the Bharati Vidyapeeth College campus while the other arm extends towards Utsav Chowk.
“The foundation work of the escalator has been completed near the station. The escalator will be assembled once its different parts are imported from countries like China and Japan,” said a CIDCO official on condition of anonymity. The construction work on the Utsav Chowk end of the skywalk has almost been concluded barring minor touch ups to a few steps on the staircase. The part near the Bharati Vidyapeeth College campus is to be worked upon mainly. “The work of setting up the suspension cables to the bridge is remaining. These cables are imported from China. As soon as we obtain these cables, the work on the suspension bridge would commence,” said VS Kulkarni, Superintendent Engineer, CIDCO.
The Kharghar skywalk is around 1.7 km in length. J Kumar Infrastructure Projects Pvt Ltd is in charge of this venture. The total cost of the skywalk project is Rs 32.72 crore. According to CIDCO officials, the skywalk will help reduce the number of fatal accidents caused due to pedestrians crossing the highway. Also, Kharghar being a flourishing educational hub, it would make the process of commuting much convenient for hordes of students. “The concept of an escalator at the station amazes me. I am looking forward to the skywalk being open to the pedestrians and commuters soon. It would not only save our time but also ensure our safety,” said Ashwin Tembhe, a student from Kharghar.
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