The Public Works Department (PWD) is all set to watch over maintenance of the Signature bridge, earlier handled by the Delhi tourism department, senior PWD officials said on Thursday.
The elevated bridge over Yamuna, which opened to the public in 2018, was constructed by the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) for ₹1,518.37 crore. Citing lack of funds, DTTDC had written to the PWD several times last year, requesting it to take over the maintenance of the bridge.
A senior PWD official said that the agency will deploy a new security arrangement at the bridge to tackle theft and maintain order. “Guards will be deployed round-the-clock in three eight hour shifts and an armed gunman will also be deployed. ₹1.5 crore will be spent on the watch and ward of the bridge,” the official said.
The agency has invited bids for the project which is likely to be finalised by January 7. There have been several cases of parts and nut-bolts of the bridge being stolen, people doing stunts and shooting reels. The bridge also suffers from poor sanitation and lifts are often dysfunctional.
The bridge connecting Outer Ring Road with Karawal Nagar and Bhajanpura in northeast Delhi boasts of 127 strands of steel cables and is projected as India’s first ‘asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge’.
A government official said that DTTDC was given funds to build the bridge and maintain it for three years. “After three years, the DTTDC started facing budget issues and decided to hand over the maintenance to PWD. The bridge is a technically advanced infrastructure and required specialised maintenance and upkeep.”
The bridge also provides direct connectivity to Loni, Rajinder Nagar, Ghaziabad, North East, and central parts of the Capital. The pylon of the bridge, which is the tallest structure in Delhi, is double the height of Qutub Minar with its 154 m high viewing box. “The viewing box and the lifts have never been opened for the public,” officials added.