Thrissur: Pedestrians heading to Sakthan Nagar in Thrissur town are in for major relief, as the authorities are set to reopen the skywalk on Friday. The skywalk has been renovated with air conditioning and lifts similar to those in metro cities. The facility features lifts and stairs at all four gates, with 20 CCTV cameras set up to ensure pedestrian safety.
Restored as part of its second phase of development, the sky walk will be officially opened to the public today at 5 pm by Local Self-Governance Minister MB Rajesh. Thrissur Mayor M K Varghese will preside over the event. Revenue Minister K Rajan will switch on the air conditioning unit of the sky walk, Higher Education Minister R Bindu will inaugurate the lifts, and Union Minister Suresh Gopi will unveil the solar panels. P Balachandran MLA will inaugurate the CCTV network.
Cost of Rs 11 crore
The sky walk was developed as a project in the Urban Transport sector, under the Amrit programme of the Thrissur Corporation. The restoration work, including the installation of air conditioning units, solar panels, and lifts, was completed at a cost of Rs. 11 crore. The project was designed by KITCO, an agency approved by the Central government, while the Corporation’s engineering wing carried out the construction.
Work on the project began in 2019, with the first phase completed and opened in 2023. However, it was soon closed again for modernisation works. The Thrissur Corporation received an award from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) in 2022-23 for implementing the sky walk as a model project in the urban transport sector.
Serving half a lakh people
Sakthan Nagar, home to the Sakthan fruit-vegetable market, fish-meat market, Sakthan Bus Stand, Sakthan Shopping Complex, and the Golden Flea Market, always experiences a heavy daily rush . As per the Corporation’s estimates, around 50,000 people visit the area daily. Given that it is a major junction in Thrissur town, the area frequently witnesses traffic jams and pedestrian accidents. The decision to construct the flyover was taken with pedestrian safety in mind, allowing people to cross the road without hassle.
Encouraging pedestrian culture
The Corporation expects that the reopening of the sky walk will alleviate the congestion on the busy footpaths across the Thrissur town. Using the project, the civic body also aims to promote a new travel culture, using the sky walk to cross roads safely. Both the Traffic Police and the Corporation hope that pedestrian road accidents will decrease if people utilize the skywalk effectively.
