Subway to replace skywalk.

The Rs. 20-crore pedestrian skywalk project near Central Station that the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) shelved recently involved multiple Central and State government agencies, including Southern Railway and Chennai Metro Rail.

The idea behind the skywalk was to help pedestrians access multiple entry and exit points across Poonamallee High Road. The CMDA, decided to go for a subway instead of the skywalk as the CMRL is now constructing a metro station at Central, the biggest in the entire project, they had decided to go in for the subway to replace the skywalk that was estimated to cost around Rs. 20 crore.

There are already two pedestrian subways across PH Road - opposite Park Town railway station and one outside Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.

The specifications of the proposed subway - location, estimated cost and its integration with the Metro station - are yet to be worked out, sources said.

The skywalk project, also involving which also involved the State Highways Department, was planned in 2010 and an elaborate submission was made during a presentation as part of a discussion on sustainable urban mobility in 2011.

According to officials, close to 14,000 people cross PH Road (National Highway 4) every hour on an average during the morning and evening rush hours.

The Heritage Conservation Committee opposed the skywalk proposal on the grounds that the heritage value of the Central Station premises would be compromised. The station is a designated Grade 1 heritage building where no modifications can be allowed.


THE HINDU