Delayed inauguration of Banjara Hills swanky Foot over Bridge frustrates pedestrians

A fully constructed foot overbridge at Banjara Hills Road No 1 remains closed despite completion, leaving pedestrians struggling to cross heavy traffic. GHMC plans to inaugurate the facility soon, but no date has been finalised yet

Hyderabad: A swank foot overbridge (FoB), despite being readied in all aspects at Banjara Hills Road No 1, remains out of bounds for pedestrians. While the authorities wait for an appropriate opportunity to open it, pedestrians continue to struggle to cross one of the busiest traffic corridors in the city.

Frustrated pedestrians who face hardships in navigating the busy vehicular traffic on this road are upset with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) for delaying the opening of this FoB on Road No 1, Banjara Hills, between GVK One Mall and Hayat Palace.

---

The GHMC initiated the FoB construction in 2022 and took almost four years to complete it. Though the facility has been ready for some time, the civic body has been taking its own time to open it for pedestrians. The FoB, for which the GHMC spent an estimated Rs 6 crore, is built with modern facilities including lifts and escalators on both sides, and its uniqueness is the ‘3D effect’.

A few weeks ago, pedestrians were seen using it to cross the busy stretch from Nagarjuna Circle to GVK One Mall and vice versa. However, access was later restricted and denied, with the entry on both sides locked.

The GHMC officials said that for the convenient movement of pedestrians, the facility is built with a width of about 55 metres and is equipped with amenities such as escalators on both sides, as well as lifts on both ends. The FoB was built with a ceiling and cladding along the edge of the footpath.

“The FoB has an aesthetic circular three-dimensional look with a circular roundabout footpath at the centre at a height of 6 metres. The entire structure is built with mild steel and spread across a width of 54.97 sq ft,” said an official. It is also provided with surveillance in the form of a CCTV network.

The GHMC officials said they plan to inaugurate it with Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and a date is awaited.