THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At long last, the eagerly awaited skywalk at East Fort will be thrown open to the public on Monday. Works Minister P A Mohamed Riyas will inaugurate the foot overbridge at 6.30pm in the presence of actor Prithviraj, who will be the chief guest. The skywalk was built at a cost of Rs 4 crore as part of a corporate social responsibility (CSR) scheme.
Prithviraj will also inaugurate the selfie point near the bridge. This skywalk in the capital is the largest and the first of its kind in the state as it has elevators for the elderly and the physically challenged. The work on the public-private partnership (PPP) model project, involving the corporation and city-based Axo Engineers (P) Ltd, began in 2019.
The L-shaped bridge has been designed in the shape of a white fort as part of heritage conservation norms. There is also a section which displays paintings of famous sons and daughters of the state capital. Free wi-fi connection will be available within a specific radius of the bridge. Drinking water kiosks will also be installed.
A total of eight persons – four each for cleaning activities and security purposes – have been appointed. The sophisticated skywalk, which has parking bays for buses plying on the Kovalam route, starts from Gandhi Park. It also has dedicated advertising spaces, including a 600 sq ft LED screen, said to be one of the largest in South India. The revenue generated from advertisements is for Axo Engineers (P) Ltd.
When former Works Minister G Sudhakaran launched the project in June 2019, it had a March 2020 deadline. But, Covid onset and concerns raised by the archaeology department held up the project. The necessity as well as the urgency for a proper walkway in East Fort could be gauged from the fact that as many as 16 lives were lost in road accidents on the busy stretch in the last three years.
Mayor S Arya Rajendran will preside over the function while ministers G R Anil, V Sivankutty and Antony Raju will attend. A foot overbridge in front of the Cotton Hill Girls Higher Secondary School was inaugurated in 2018 while another one was constructed in front of St Mary’s Higher Secondary School, Pattom.
Highlights
Project cost - RS 4 crore
Longest (102m) foot overbridge
35 CCTV units and a police aid post
Paintings of prominent people
Pictures of tourist spots and a selfie corner
A 600 sq ft HD LED wall
Free wi-fi connection