Mehdipatnam skywalk design flaw traps vehicles
HYDERABAD: A planning lapse has surfaced in the construction of a pedestrian skywalk near the Raithu Bazaar in Mehdipatnam, where insufficient clearance between the road and the bridge is causing heavy vehicles to get stuck.
Early Wednesday morning, a container truck hit the under-construction skywalk and got wedged beneath it. Police intervened and removed the vehicle after a prolonged effort. Steel girders installed for the bridge suffered partial damage in the incident.
₹32.97 crore project aims to link key junctions
The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) is building the skywalk and a commercial zone at a cost of ₹32.97 crore. The project is intended to connect Mehdipatnam bus stand and Raithu Bazaar, and is expected to open within a month.
As part of the plan, a pedestrian bridge is being built beneath the P V Narasimha Rao flyover to connect both sides of the road. However, the clearance under this stretch has emerged as a major concern.
Lack of warnings worsens risk for heavy vehicles
Heavy vehicles, especially those travelling towards Bengaluru, frequently use this route between 10 pm and 8 am. With no warning boards in place, several vehicles are entering the stretch and getting stuck under the bridge.
The skywalk spans 3,380 square yards and will have entry and exit points at five locations. Two tunnel pathways are also planned on either side.
Officials had earlier installed girders at a distance to alert heavy vehicles, but later removed them. At present, only red and yellow tapes have been placed on the bridge pipes.
The sequence of decisions has raised concerns about inadequate planning and lack of a preventive strategy in the execution of the project.
