Noida's Aqua-Blue Line Skywalk Faces Three-Month Delay Due to Structural Beam Oversight
In a significant setback for daily commuters, the much-anticipated 400-meter skywalk connecting the Aqua Line's Sector 51 station with the Blue Line's Sector 52 station in Noida is now expected to take at least three more months before it can open. The delay stems from a critical oversight by engineers, who discovered a structural beam blocking access at the entry point near Sector 51, requiring relocation work that could extend the timeline by two to three months.
Project Details and Commuter Impact
The Noida Authority has invested Rs 40 crore in this advanced skywalk project, which features travelators and lifts to enhance convenience. Officials have confirmed that the skywalk structure itself is complete, but the obstructing beam must be addressed before the corridor can become operational. This delay is particularly frustrating for commuters who have been forced to navigate a 400-meter stretch in the open since 2019, when a previous covered walkway was dismantled for construction. The area is plagued by harsh weather conditions, heavy traffic, and encroachments from street vendors selling items like juice, lemonade, and books, as well as autos and e-rickshaws that block the path.
Commuters, such as Md Rashid from Jamia Nagar in Delhi, who studies at a private college in Greater Noida, express daily hardships. "I rely on metro service for commuting, but navigating the Sector 51-52 stretch is a pain. There's no proper walkway, and we must use encroached footpaths. This project needs to open soon," he said. Sanjeev Kumar, a Sector 51 resident, highlighted that the project has already been delayed by two years, causing ongoing trouble for users. "This should be fixed at the earliest," he urged.
Construction Challenges and Redesign
Construction of the L-shaped, air-conditioned skywalk began in March 2023 with an initial completion target of one year. However, nearly three years later, the opening has faced repeated postponements. Officials attribute the delays to multiple factors, including design changes and restrictions imposed by the National Green Tribunal to curb pollution during winter months. Originally planned as a single-pillar structure, the project underwent a redesign to a two-column support system after an underground metro cable was discovered during excavation, adding to the complexity and timeline.
The skywalk is deemed essential for providing a safe and hassle-free link between the two metro lines, especially given the current unsafe conditions. With hundreds of commuters making the switch daily, the urgency for completion is high, but the structural beam issue now adds another layer of delay, pushing the expected opening further into the future.
