C'wealth Games: Park and Ride facility, four foot overbridges opened

A special Park and Ride facility at the Safdarjung Airport for the Commonwealth Games and four new footover bridges, including one near the main sports venue Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, were unveiled in the city today.

Chief minister Sheila Dikshit was scheduled to inaugurate the Park and Ride facility and three of the FoBs -- all projects of New Delhi Municipal Council -- but she did not turn up due to her engagements at the Games Village.

In the absence of Dikshit and NDMC chairman Parimal Rai, who were also camping at the Village, NDMC vice-chairperson Tajdar Babbar and other NDMC members unveiled the four projects.

The Park and Ride at Safdarjung was developed for parking of vehicles destined for the JLN Stadium during the Games.

The total parking area of 1,70,000 sq m will accommodate 3000 cars, 6000 two-wheelers and 450 buses and includes boarding, alighting and circulation area, NDMC officials said.

The project, which was completed in a period of 10 months, also includes public information centre, security chambers, separate waiting hall for public and crew, frisking hall and public convenience units. Close-circuit TVs and security equipment have also been installed by ECIL.

The three foot overbridges have been set up on Mother Teresa Crescent, Africa Avenue and Park Street in front of Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. "The design of FoB on Mother Teresa Crescent has been kept simple in view of its proximity to the Presidential Estate. Constructed at a cost of Rs 4.65 crore, it has both escalators and staircases," an official said.

The FoB is situated near Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Aquatic Stadium which will hold the swimming events of the Games.

"The foot overbridge on Park Street is the first of its kind in Delhi which has got escalators, lifts and staircase. It has been completed in 10 months at a cost of Rs5.62 crore," the official said. It is located near Talkatora Indoor Stadium.

The foot overbridge on Africa Avenue has been built at a cost of Rs4.34 crore and boasts of a unique design. It is situated near Sarojini Nagar Bus Depot.

Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijay Kumar Malhotra inaugurated a newly-developed foot overbridge at Bhisma Pitamaha Marg near JLN Stadium towards Sai Baba temple. The FoB, which is an MCD project, has lifts and staircases.

Earlier on September 21, an under-construction foot overbridge collapsed injuring 27 people outside the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium. Delhi government has now requested the Army to construct a bailey bridge in place of that.

Top PWD officials said the Army will start working on the bridge today and the work is expected to be over in five days time.