CHENNAI: Nearly two years and eight months after work began on the Kilambakkam railway station in September 2023, and after the skywalk integration project launched in December 2023 that missed multiple deadlines, the long-pending connectivity at Kilambakkam is now expected to be fulfilled by the end of June.
The remaining portion of the pedestrian skywalk connecting the Kilambakkam bus terminus with the upcoming railway halt station will be completed next week, while the entire integration work including lifts and escalators on both sides of the skywalk is expected to be finished by the end of June, Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) officials said.
Southern Railway officials have meanwhile assured that the station can be opened once the skywalk connectivity is completed.
“After a meeting with stakeholders including city traffic police and Southern Railway, it was decided that the pending girder, starting from GST Road and connecting with the railway station, will be lifted and placed next week,” a senior CMDA official said. “Temporary supports beneath the structure will remain until concrete curing and stability checks are completed. When a welding plate comes from Erode, work will be completed. We’ll then pour the concrete. The support will remain until the concrete work is over for better weight-bearing.”
The Rs 79-crore skywalk project is intended to provide direct pedestrian access between the railway station platforms and the bus terminus across GST Road through an elevated corridor equipped with lifts, escalators and staircases. The delay was partly attributed to election-related restrictions and lack of police permission for traffic management and construction activity on the busy GST Road.
“We won’t miss this timeline. All works will be completed by the end of next month,” the official added.
Meanwhile, roofing works and installation of passenger seating are under way at the Kilambakkam station located between Vandalur and Urappakkam on the Beach-Chengalpattu suburban section. The prolonged delay has continued to affect thousands of passengers using the Kilambakkam bus terminus, with commuters struggling to access the facility amid heavy GST Road congestion.
Omni bus operators have also repeatedly urged the State government to allow services from Koyambedu until the railway station becomes operational.