Kilambakkam Skywalk Misses Another Deadline; Completion Pushed to Pongal

More than six lakh passengers expected to travel to their hometowns for Deepavali on November 8 will have to continue relying on road access to reach the Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus (KCBT) in Kilambakkam. The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has postponed the completion of the long-delayed skywalk connecting the terminus with the proposed Kilambakkam railway station to Pongal.

The 275-metre skywalk, part of a ₹79-crore connectivity project, was planned to provide seamless access between the railway station and the bus terminus across GST Road. However, the project has missed several deadlines since work began in December 2023.

Technical Challenges Delay Skywalk Construction

A senior CMDA official said the GST Road crossing is technically challenging. The structure includes two spans of 33 metres and 43 metres that must be built without intermediate supports.

The official explained that the full cantilever design requires careful execution to prevent structural deflection. Temporary supports beneath the first deck on the bus terminus side are expected to be removed soon, while installation of the second deck is scheduled after Deepavali.

Repeated Deadlines Missed

The skywalk project has faced multiple postponements. In May, officials said the remaining work would be completed the following week, with the entire integration project targeted for the end of June. By July, the deadline had shifted to the first week of December.

Earlier delays were attributed to pending traffic police clearance and Southern Railway permission to install a girder across the tracks.

Railway Station Commissioning Also Delayed

The Kilambakkam railway station, where construction began in September 2023, was earlier expected to be ready before Deepavali. Its commissioning is now dependent on completion of the skywalk.

The KCBT was inaugurated on December 30, 2023, but the missing rail connectivity continues to inconvenience passengers. With the latest deadline moved to Pongal, commuters will have to wait longer for a direct and convenient connection between the railway station and the bus terminus.