MUMBAI: Four years after works first began, one of the most crucial foot over bridge's (FOB) proposed over the arterial Dr BA road in Mumbai's Sion was innagurated on Saturday morning by Mumbai guardian minister and Shiv Sena's Deepak Kesarkar.
The Rs.7.18 crore FOB is the first in the city to have an escalator on either sides of its entry and exit.
The BMC said that the delay in construction of the FOB which began in January 2019 was due to Covid-19 , Shifting of underground utilities, Traffic Police Permission, Tree cutting permission, Change in methodology from Tubular truss to plate girder, cost variation and escalator delivery.
The FOB between Sion flyover and Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital popularly known as Sion hospital has been in works since January 2019 but was stalled for two years owing to Covid. The FOB will largely benefit pedestrians going from GTB Nagar towards Sion station and also college students going from SIES college towards GTB Nagar.
Additionally, the inclusion of escalators on the FOB will provide convenience for senior citizens, making their ascent easier. Deputy municipal commissioner -infrastructure Ulhas Mahale said that the idea behind providing escalators on both sides of the bridge was a strategic decision aimed at minimizing inconvenience for pedestrians. "The construction of the bridge includes robust materials and meticulous placement to ensure its longevity and resistance to corrosion," said Mahale.
Ajay Pandya of the Sion welfare forum said that the residents had requested for the FOB as being an arterial road crossing is not very safe for a pedetrian. "We have requested the authorities to put up a complain number prominently so that in case the FOB stops working due to any reason the authorities can be informed immidiately," said Pandya.
Former BMC corporator Rajeshree Shirwadkar said that the delay in construction of the FOB was owing to a number of reasons namely Covid which had stalled several works, height of the FOB which needed to be at a limit that the movement of Ganpati idols being taken from workshops Lalbaug to suburbs are not affected. "But the FOB is going to benefit many from students to senior citizens," she said.
