Drone Footage Reveals Impressive Uppal Sky Walk Project Progress

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) is set to launch the Uppal Ring Road Skywalk bridge soon, as the project nears completion. The construction of the Skywalk bridge was initiated by the Telangana government to ease the traffic and provide relief to pedestrians facing hardships at Uppal Ring Road. The idea of constructing the Skywalk project was proposed by Minister K Taraka Rama Rao, who directed the Special Chief Secretary to Urban Development Arvind Kumar to make proposals for the project. The responsibility of looking into the possibilities was entrusted to architects and senior engineers, and after receiving the proposals and plans, the works were assigned to the HMDA with an allocation of Rs. 25 crores. The HMDA used structural steels acquired from Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), Vizag Steel (Visakhapatnam), and Jindal Steel Companies to make the skywalk project durable for 100 years. Despite commencing the works in 2020, the project faced delays due to various reasons, such as the Covid-19 outbreak and the shortage of oxygen cylinders for welding work. The Uppal skywalk project, built with 37 pillars, is 660 meters long and six meters above the ground. It features eight lifts, six staircases, and four escalators to facilitate easy movement of pedestrians. The HMDA Urban Forest system will contribute to the greenery by planting saplings. Drone visuals of the project have been released, and the HMDA is gearing up to launch the Skywalk bridge shortly to alleviate the traffic congestion and improve the pedestrian experience at Uppal Ring Road.