It has been under construction for a decade but the Signature Bridge in Wazirabad, an ambitious Delhi government project that seeks to connect the northern and eastern extremities of the Capital, is yet to see the light of day.
In fact, the almost ₹1,600-crore project — with its steel towers planned to be double the height of Qutub Minar and proposed waterfront development, which successive governments including the AAP intend to build into a tourist attraction — is expected to miss its sixth construction deadline in the coming months.
According to the government, the Signature Bridge had obtained environmental clearance in 2011 and was set to be completed by December 2013. The date of completion was pushed to June 2016 and then July 2017. However, sources said the project will be completed by December 2017.
Modified estimate
According to sources, the bridge was proposed for the first time as early as 1997, with initial cost pegged at ₹464 crore. Announced in 2004, the project received a nod from the Delhi Cabinet in 2007 and was initially expected to be completed at a modified estimate of ₹1,131 crore by the Commonwealth Games which were held in the Capital in October 2010.
Over the years, the initial cost of the project rose to ₹1,594 crore (in 2015) which, according to sources, is a significant reason behind the government’s decision not to scrap it.
Asymmetrical design
The main bridge, according to government records, is 675-metre-long, asymmetrical and cable-stayed with two approaches. The eastern approach is 1.8-km-long and connects the main bridge with Marginal Bund Road at Khajuri Khas intersection.
LED lights
It also has a flyover and a ground-level rotary at Khajuri Khas intersection. The western approach has a flyover on Outer Ring Road, which covers the existing intersections at Timarpur, Nehru Vihar and Wazirabad.
Designed with a bow-shaped steel pylon, the longest slab without support on the project is expected to be 251-metre-long with LED lights. The new bridge will be 600-metre downstream the existing bridge and connect Outer Ring Road on the western bank with Wazirabad Road on the eastern bank of the Yamuna.
In January last year, Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Satyendar Jain had said the project will finally become operational by early 2017. According to Mr. Jain, while most of the work on the approach roads and loops leading to the bridge was at an advanced stage, the piling work for the bridge over the Yamuna was proving to be a problem.
'Technical issues'
Apart from connecting north-east part of the Capital to outer Delhi, the bridge will be a gateway to the Tronica City in adjacent Ghaziabad, which is being developed on the lines of sub-cities like Indirapuram and Kaushambi.
A senior government official said “a little less than half” the work on the project is pending even as factors ranging from an increase in the base prices of construction material and other “technical issues” had led to the increased cost.
The redesigning of the foundation of the bridge too was cited as a significant reason behind its delayed construction, which the government said it was confident of tiding over “at the earliest”.
