With 26 skywalks, BCC steps in for pedestrians

With 26 skywalks, BCC steps in for pedestrians
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: To check increasing mishaps involving pedestrians, Bangalore City Corporation (BCC) will build 26 footbridges across dangerous roads. The BCC has entered into a sponsorship agreement with Vantage, an advertising agency, for seven skywalks as they are called, costing over Rs. 50 lakh.

Technical advisor to BCC R. Jayaprasad told this website’s newspaper that the fabrication of the steel structures for the skywalks has already begun.

‘‘We will erect seven skywalks near Lalbagh Main Gate, Jayanagar 30th Cross at the bus stand, near MSIL on Cunningham Road, Shanthinagar bus terminal on K.H. Road, near Kemp Fort on Airport Road, at Bishop Cotton School on Residency Road and Vijaya College on R.V. Road.’’

Apart from these, one more near ISKCON Temple is awaiting the Government nod. All the seven skywalks will be complete by the end of the year, said Executive Engineer (Projects) M. Rangaraju.

Seventeen more skywalks will be taken up in the second phase for which BCC has invited expression of interest from advertisers.

The advertisers will fund these projects in exchange for five years of advertising rights, while the BCC will monitor the construction in consultation with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). Geodesic Technologies will give engineering design inputs.

Skywalks in the second phase include: On Ring Road in Katriguppa near Kamakhya theatre, near Janata Bazaar on Ring Road, in Marappana Palya on Tumkur Road, near CBI office in Ganganagar, Maruthi Mandir in Vijayanagar and Bhashyam Circle in Rajajinagar.

It will also be at Cauvery Bhavan, Kendriya Vidyalaya on C.V. Raman Road, Minerva Circle in V.V. Puram, Kimco on Mysore Chord Road, near Gandhi Bazaar on Bull Temple Road and Nehru Circle in Sheshadripuram.

The other skywalks will be at Urvashi theatre on Lalbagh Road, GPO near the New Indian Express Building, near Mount Carmel College, Anil Kumble Circle on MG Road and near Webb’s Junction.

However, there are apprehensions about pedestrians’ willingness to use the foot overbridges. ‘‘We will make the designs of skywalks attractive to encourage pedestrians to use them. Subways are dangerous during nights for they could become haunts for criminals,’’ said Jayaprasad.

Advertisements on the skywalks could also distract motorists. ‘‘Allowing advertisements on the sides of flights of stairs and on the inside walls of the bridges would be safer and not on the outer faces,’’ said Prof. Raghu Prasad of IISc.