Two new FOBS on busy south Delhi roads

NEW DELHI : The Delhi government’s Public Works Department (PWD) will construct two pedestrian bridges on the busy Nelson Mandela Marg and Tamil Sangam Marg in south Delhi.

The government has also sanctioned an estimated ₹4.98 crore for the construction of the two overbridges. PWD officials said both the facilities will be disabled-friendly with elevators as well as stairs. The department had got financial and administrative clearance from the government to build the foot overbridges (FOB) , officials said.

“The move is aimed at improving pedestrian access across important roads in the city. On Nelson Mandela Marg, the FOB will be constructed near Baba Ganga Nath Temple while the other pedestrian bridge will come up near Mohan Singh market on Tamil Sangam Marg in RK Puram. These FOBS will be built at a cost of ₹2.50 crore and ₹2.48 crores, respectively,” a PWD official, privy to the development, said on Tuesday.

The department has also issued circulars in this connection last week.

He said the proposal for these pedestrian bridges was first sent to the government for approval by the chief engineer (south) last month.the PWD officials said people had been demanding FOBS in these areas because of heavy pedestrian movement.

“Construction of the FOBS is much required in these areas as there is always heavy traffic in this region. The proposals to construct pedestrian facilities at these locations were drafted after several demands and a feasibility study,” the official said.

He said if everything goes as per plan, construction would start in four to five months as the tendering process might take some time.

Last year, the PWD had approved FOBS at several places, including Sri Aurobindo Marg near Hauz Khas, near Shakarpur village on Ring Road, ISBT Sarai Kale Khan, Mayapuri, Harswaroop Colony near Fatehpur Beri and Rao Tula Ram Marg.

Currently, there are around 80 FOBS and over 50 subways in the city. However, most of them remain underutilised.

Sewa Ram, professor of transport planning at the School of Planning and Architecture, said that building more and more FOBS was not a solution but there was a need to develop pedestrian facilities at surface level.

“The FOB at Tamil Sangam Marg is unlikely to successful as the road is not wide enough that the pedestrians would use the facility here. Besides the stretch also have pedestrian crossings and due to Mohan Singh market in the area the speed of the vehicles is not high on the stretch. Instead of planning an FOB here the authorities should have improved pedestrian crossings at-grade using table top techniques,” Ram said.