Delhi foot overbridges: facelift needed

In 2005,the Delhi government mooted building ‘skywalks’,sleek and dedicated walkways that would have ramps,at crossings over Dhaula Kuan,Nanakpura,Sri Venkateswara College,Maharani Bagh,Azadpur and the ISBT for the Commonwealth Games. Instead of these,however,foot overbridges were built in different parts of the city.

These overbridges,made out of bulky steel,concrete and fibre glass,are usually too unattractive and their sheer,forbidding bulk mars the skyline. Pedestrians don’t use them because of the effort needed. The Delhi government then decided to install escalators and wheelchair-friendly ramps on these overbridges,so that people wouldn’t have to ‘climb’,as seen on the foot overbridge outside the Income Tax Office.

At least six more foot overbridges equipped with escalators are to come up in Delhi for the Commonwealth Games,but various design flaws may need to be set right.

At ITO,for instance,when approaching from the Ring Road,one has to take the stairs,walk across and then descend to the pavement on the Police Headquarters side using stairs that also face the Ring Road,in effect taking one back and adding a good 50 metres to one’s journey.

At Maharani Bagh,the foot overbridge has been given a gradual gradient to make the climb appear less steep,making pedestrians walk up a longer ramp as a result. At ISBT in North Delhi,pedestrians give the bridge a miss and instead sprint across the road and climb a high grill on the road divider,luggage in hand,to cross the road.

At GK II,the approach to the foot overbridge is narrow,steep and broken,with a big stone serving as a step,leading pedestrians up to the bridge.

Newsline got two architects to suggest how a foot overbridge could actually be made usable — and beautiful.

Architect Gautam Bhatia suggested there should be something on the overbridges to encourage people to use them. His design suggests greenery on top of foot overbridges along with stalls selling refreshments,and a place for people to actually sit in.

“You have to give people a reason to climb up 15 feet of stairs. Going up to a green area will be a refreshing reason. The material used should be light grade steel that can support the weight of shrubs and trees,” Bhatia said. The idea,therefore,is really that of an overbridge that one would enjoy being on. “It’s a place where you could stop and watch the traffic go by,” he said.

Sourabh Gupta of Archohm,who has designed the aqua-blue,vaulted walkway at Moolchand,suggested commercial activity on foot overbridges. His design explores shops on the subway,and internal advertisement panels and banners on foot overbridges. “Creating a commercial area takes care of security and maintenance concerns. Having shops on the foot overbridge would ensure a level of alertness and security. Moreover,the rent paid by shopkeepers would help in keeping the overbridge clean,” Gupta said.

Both architects suggested a very light,sleek looking material for the overbridges. Gupta suggested the use of suspended cable wires for foot overbridges equipped with shades,while Bhatia suggested a steel structure that could be erected quickly.

“A foot overbridge should not be bulky. We can leave the bulk to flyovers,” Gupta said.