: The ambitious but much delayed Signature Bridge might finally see the light of day early next year, the Delhi government said.
Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Satyendar Jain told reporters that the project, which has been in the works for more than a decade, will finally become operational by early 2017. The government had earlier said that the project would be finished by 2016 itself.The Signature Bridge is coming up near Wazirabad and will connect North Delhi and East Delhi. With its steel towers planned to be double the height of Qutab Minar and waterfront development also in the pipeline, the project is expected to be a tourist attraction.
While most of the work on the approach roads and loops leading to the bridge are at an advanced stage, the piling work for the bridge over the river Yamuna is proving to be a problem, Mr. Jain told reporters.
Initially planned with a budget of Rs. 1,131 crore, the cost has escalated to nearly Rs. 1,600 crore and is a reason why the government cannot scrap the project at this stage even if it wanted to, sources in the government said.
Other projects
Mr. Jain said the government has suggested in meetings with the North Municipal Corporation that the much-delayed Rani Jhansi Flyover project be handed over to the PWD for faster implementation. He also said that the DDA has been requested to hand over the work on the Urban Extension Roads to the PWD.
Mr. Jain added that the PWD is also going to undertake retrofitting of roads in Delhi soon.
