Kusunti Height footbridge
Construction of a lift-equipped pedestrian overpass in the Kusunti Height area of Lalitpur has reached its final stage, with authorities targeting to bring it into operation before or shortly after the Chhath festival. An exact inauguration date has not yet been announced.
The Kusunti Height footbridge is being built along the Ring Road in Lalitpur Metropolitan City-13 at an estimated cost of Rs 46.8 million. Construction began in February 2024, with the project initially scheduled for completion within one year under the contract. Technical problems and complications during the construction process delayed the work beyond the original deadline.
The overpass is equipped with lifts on both sides, which are expected to make crossing the road easier for senior citizens, people with disabilities, patients and children. On a busy stretch of the Ring Road, where pedestrians now cross through fast traffic, the lifts are the feature that has drawn the most public attention.
The project aims to improve pedestrian access across the Ring Road and reduce the risk of road accidents. Footbridges of this kind matter most where traffic is heaviest and where the people who most need a safe crossing, older residents, patients and children, are the least able to hurry across a multi-lane road.
Lift-equipped overpasses also need reliable upkeep once they open, since a lift out of service removes the very access the bridge was built to provide. Whether the operating arrangements keep both lifts running will be part of how the public judges the project after inauguration.
For now, the remaining question is the opening date. The Kusunti Height footbridge is targeted to open around Chhath, and residents of the area will be watching for the announcement that confirms the day it opens to the public.