After 14 years, Signature Bridge set to open November 4

NEW DELHI: The much-awaited Signature Bridge on the Yamuna is set to open for public on November 5, with deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia inspecting the infrastructure project Friday. As per the project plan, the bridge, which will reduce the travel time between north and northeast Delhi, will have designated selfie spots.

Delhiites will be able to enjoy a panoramic view of the city from the top of the bridge, where they will be taken in four elevators with a total capacity of carrying 50 people. The elevators area likely to be operational in two months, an official said. He said the bridge will serve as a tourist destination with the 154-metre-high glass box giving a bird’s-eye view of the city to visitors.

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is scheduled to inaugurate the bridge on November 4 and it will be thrown open for public on November 5.

Talking to reporters during the inspection, Mr Sisodia said the bridge will become a tourist spot. Announced in 2004, the bridge has missed several deadlines since 2011.

The project was started in 2004 but failed to meet several deadlines. The delay in construction also escalated construction cost of the bridge. The bridge will reduce travel time for commuters between northeast to north Delhi. The AAP government had allocated '100 crore in 2017 for the completion of the project. The deadline was March 2018 but the authorities took a few more months to complete it. Undoubtedly, the bridge will become an attraction for tourists.

It was initially expected to be completed at a modified estimate of '1,131 crore for the Commonwealth Games, held in Delhi in October 2010.

In 2015, the cost of the project rose to '1,594 crore. Reportedly, the bridge was proposed for the first time as early as in 1997 at an initial cost of '464 crore. The bridge will share the burden of vehicular traffic currently borne by the Wazirabad bridge.