Army hands over newly-built foot overbridge

In less than a week, Army's 'Madras Sappers' have built 95-metre-long Bailey bridge at Commonwealth Games main venue.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: Engineers from The Madras Engineer Group, informally known as the Madras Sappers (a regiment of the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army) are elated after successfully erecting and commissioning the "Bailey Bridge" near Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium following the collapse of the originally planned bridge last week, in New Delhi on Friday. Photo: V. Sudershan

The Army on Friday handed over the newly-built Bailey foot overbridge outside the main Commonwealth Games venue Jawaharlal Nehru stadium to the Delhi government, six days after it was tasked to construct it.

The Army was approached by the Delhi Government after a 95-metre-long under-construction foot overbridge came crashing down on September 21, injuring 27 people and causing a major embarrassment to the country.

The Army engineers had started work on the bridge on Saturday and completed its construction on Wednesday.

The hanging bridge, which was intended to be a showpiece, was built by a private firm for Delhi Government’s Public Works Department along with another adjacent bridge at a cost of Rs 10.5 crore to connect the parking lot of the stadium with other side of the street in Lodhi Road in south Delhi.

An army engineering regiment with nearly 1,000 men was deployed to construct the Bailey bridge which is a portable pre-fabricated bridge designed for use by military units.

The Delhi Government official said the PWD has completed construction of the second foot overbridge, adjacent to the collapsed bridge.