ITO Skywalk: From Dazzling To Dismal
Even from a distance, its sweeping shape captured attention. But today, that shine has dulled. Quite literally, the lights are going out.
To facilitate safe and seamless pedestrian movement across Tilak Marg, Sikandra Road, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and Mathura Road—towards Pragati Maidan Metro Station—a large network of public walkways was developed. This included a 400-metre-long skywalk, which features a loop and ramp.
Additionally, a 54-metre-long foot overbridge (FOB) near Hans Bhawan connects crucial points in the area.
Completed in 2018 at a cost of nearly Rs 54 crore, the project was hailed as one of Delhi's most ambitious pedestrian projects. Equipped with elevators, escalators, smart LED lighting, CCTV cameras, and a design meant to offer both convenience and a visual break from the city's clutter, it was positioned as a futuristic landmark.
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But six years later, some of the promises lie flickering—between ambition and apathy, with non-uniformity in aesthetics and lighting of the FOB and the skywalk.
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At the Hans Bhawan FOB, one lift is non-functional and the lighting frequently flickers. Much of the LED lighting at the architecture that once gave the bridge its after-hours glow now lies in disrepair. Some stretches shine brightly, while others remain completely dark.
Decorative facade lights have stopped working in several places, and in patches, the walkway plunges into an uneasy shadow. The contrast is stark and jarring.
What once sparkled now flickers like a forgotten festival light.
Meanwhile, the skywalk, though visibly cleaner, has several maintenance issues: hanging tubelights, a leaking ceiling as at one point, missing outer LED lights similar to the FOB, and exposed electrical equipment.
One section of the skywalk wall also has tobacco stains.
The project was envisioned to link high-traffic nodes, including the ITO junction. With over 25 major offices and institutions in the vicinity, including the police headquarters, PWD Bhawan, GST office, Supreme Court, Lady Irwin College and Vikas Minar, nearly 30,000 pedestrians navigate the nearby roads daily. The ITO skywalk can still be the iconic connector in the heart of the capital. But unless upkeep returns to the blueprint, it risks becoming what many public projects in the city quietly turn into—a brilliant idea left dimmed by disinterest.
PWD officials stated that the maintenance was their responsibility and that they would look into it.
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