Kottayam: Halfway into its construction, Kerala's first skywalk project slated to come up in the heart of the town has reached an impasse owing to delayed disbursal of funds. The authorities could so far grant only Rs 40 lakh to the contractor when he handed over a bill of Rs 1.5 crore. The mega project, which aims to ease pedestrian movement at the district’s busiest junction, is being built at an estimated cost of Rs 4 crore. As the tender proceedings for the pending works have reached no where, the contractor has to think twice before going ahead with the remaining work.
The foundation stone for the skywalk was laid in February 2016. An amount of Rs 1 crore has been allotted from the Road Safety Fund for the project that would also bring down the transportation hassles of the town. Out of this, Rs 60 lakh was utilised to lay 11 KV power grid passing along the Seematti Junction underground. Even the pipes of Kerala Water Authority located near the junction were relocated. Kitco, which was entrusted with the project, gave the contractor the remaining amount of Rs 40 lakh. After erecting the pillars and pipes for the skywalk, the contractor raised a bill of Rs 1.5 crore.
In the first phase of construction, 14 steel pillars were erected by last December. Iron pipes were laid across top of the pillars connecting each other.
The pending works are the laying of steel sheets on the skywalk floor and the installation of roofs, 4 elevators and a flight of stairs.
