Delhi's Signature Bridge Now Open For Public

The wait for Delhi’s Signature Bridge is finally over as it has been open for public use on November 4. The project was jointly inaugurated by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal along with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. The bridge will bring down the travel time between north and north-east Delhi. 

Delayed for eight years, the  work on the bridge was inconsistent due to multiple reasons, including environment clearance, lack of funds, and non-payment of dues. Earlier, the Delhi High Court has asked the agencies to submit fresh timelines for completing the project while Delhi government ordered a third- party audit of funding of Signature Bridge construction.

Here is all you need to know about one of Delhi's most important infrastructure in the making. 

The route

The Signature Bridge has been facing inordinate delay since the time of its approval. Once completed, the bridge will be the first asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge in the country, 675-metre long and 35.2 metre wide. It would connect north Delhi with north-east Delhi and Ghaziabad. This bridge will connect Outer Ring Road on western bank with the Wazirabad Road on the eastern bank of the Yamuna. It will also reduce the total travel time by at least half an hour for commuters going to Ghaziabad and Bhopura Border via Khajuri Khas, from Wazirabad, Timarpur, Mukherjee Nagar and Baurar.  Also, since Wazirabad Bridge is closed for repair, the Signature Bridge will also work as an alternative access for the commuters, when operational. According to the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation, initially, only two-wheelers will be allowed while the four-wheelers will get the access to the bridge after two months. The trial run was expected to start in June.

Many dates and delays

The Signature Bridge was proposed in 2004 but got the nod from the Delhi government in 2007, when the city was preparing for the Commonwealth Games. The first deadline was fixed ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games but was revised to 2013. When the AAP-led government took over in 2015, the new deadline was set to June 2016 which was further pushed to 2017. It was in July 2017 when the Delhi government released Rs 100 crore for the construction and set the new deadline for March 2018.

The escalated cost

Recently, Delhi High Court frowned upon Public Works Department (PWD) and the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC) for “quibbling over” the amount to be paid for construction of the Signature Bridge  and has gave them the last opportunity to ensure the project is completed without any increase in cost. 

Inconsistent construction pace has also increased the cost of the infrastructure. Initially, the estimated cost was Rs 887 crore which increased to Rs 1,131 crore in 2013 and stands around Rs 1,575 at present day. The government has also planned to develop businesses and tourism around the bridge in the second phase of the project. The cost of the project has been revised thrice at DTTDC’s requests.