Long-pending Skywalk project begins in Raipur, traffic restrictions imposed for night hours

Raipur: State capital's long-pending skywalk project is set to restart, prompting major restrictions for traffic movement around the city's busiest junctions during the night. Raipur district collector Gaurav Singh has issued orders enforcing temporary one-way restrictions on two key stretches near Shastri Chowk from November 27, a plan that will remain in place for one month. According to the administration, the one-way rule will be implemented every night from 10 pm to 6 am. The traffic plan will roll out in two stages. For the first 15 days, traffic movement will remain one-way going from Shastri Chowk → Multilevel Parking → Jaystambh Chowk. For the next 15 days, traffic will move one-way from Shastri Chowk to Ambedkar hospital Chowk. This means commuters will have to follow different routes during each half of the month as construction progresses on different sections of the skywalk. To minimise inconvenience, the administration said special arrangements will be made along the diverted routes. Reflective barricades will be installed at entry and exit points of the closed stretches to ensure visibility during the night. Trained guards will be deployed to guide traffic and maintain order. Information boards will also be placed at the start and end of the one-way segments so that motorists are aware of the diversions in advance. Collector Singh urged residents to cooperate with the temporary traffic plan, stressing that the restrictions are essential for completing skywalk construction safely and without interruption. He appealed to citizens to follow the new routes and adhere to instructions for their own safety as well as smooth progress of the project. The skywalk project that remained incomplete for eight years has been marred with controversies as it stood in the middle of the city amid disputes, arguments and political contention. Chhattisgarh government decided to complete the skywalk early this year and approved ₹37.75 crore to finish the remaining work. The Skywalk project was launched in 2016–17 during the tenure of the then chief minister Raman Singh. The decision to build a pedestrian skywalk over Raipur's busy Shastri Chowk and Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Hospital Chowk was taken after surveys showed heavy foot traffic and severe inconvenience to pedestrians due to dense vehicular movement on these routes. However, the project never reached completion. When the Congress government came to power, it criticised the structure as a "symbol of BJP's corruption" and halted the work. The skywalk was neither completed nor demolished, leaving the massive structure standing unfinished over the city's central junction for years.

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