Kilambakkam skywalk misses another deadline

CHENNAI: Over six lakh passengers, who are expected to leave for their hometowns for Deepavali on November 8, will once again be forced to travel by road to reach the Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus, with the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority setting the new deadline for the Kilambakkam skywalk to Pongal.

The 275-metre skywalk, which will connect the proposed Kilambakkam railway station on the opposite side of GST Road with the bus terminus, has missed several deadlines since the project kicked off three years ago.

The Rs 79-crore project was expected to provide seamless rail connectivity to the sprawling terminus. However, the latest postponement means passengers will have to wait until Pongal to use the facility.

The KCBT was inaugurated on December 30, 2023, while work on the railway station began in September 2023. The skywalk integration project was launched in December 2023. Despite repeated assurances, the crucial connectivity link remains elusive.

A senior Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) official attributed the delay to the technically challenging GST Road crossing, which involves two spans of 33 metres and 43 metres without intermediate supports.

"Because of the full cantilever projection, the work cannot be carried out casually. There should not be any deflection," the official said. Temporary supports beneath deck 1 on the bus terminus side would be removed soon, while deck 2 is scheduled to be installed after Deepavali.

The latest postponement follows a series of missed deadlines. In May, CMDA officials said the remaining portion would be completed the following week and the entire integration work by the end of June. By July, the target had shifted to the first week of December. The authority had then cited delays in obtaining traffic police clearance and the Southern Railway's permission to install a girder across the tracks.

The railway station, too, remains caught in the delay. The Southern Railway had earlier indicated that it would be ready for Deepavali. However, commissioning is now contingent on the completion of the skywalk.