Sky-walk glass bridge another jewel in Visakhapatnam’s crown

The sky-walk glass bridge atop Kailasagiri, near the Titanic viewpoint in Visakhapatnam, touted to be the longest such tourist attraction in India, is slated for inauguration either next week, or later this month, if pending works are completed by then.

The ‘load test’ and illumination resembling the Tricolour are pending execution.

Built entirely with imported German-made glass and steel, the sky-walk bridge is 862 feet above the ground and 1,000 feet above the sea level. It offers tourists a breathtaking view of the Bay of Bengal on the one side, and the city and the Eastern Ghats skirting it on the other.

SSM Shipping & Logistics of Visakhapatnam has taken up the project on a public-private-partnership (PPP) basis, with the technical support from the Bharat Mata Ventures of Kerala, known for building the famous Vagamon Glass Bridge in that State. The Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) is a stakeholder in the project on behalf of the State government.

“Expert engineers will conduct the load test on Sunday (September 7) or Monday (September 8). We can complete the pending works in a few days. With 55-metre glass span, it is the longest hanging glass bridge in India. The length of the Vagamon Glass Bridge is 38 metres,” Rajesh Bathina, managing director, SSM Shipping & Logistics, told The Hindu on Saturday (September 6).

The ₹7-crore sky-walk glass bridge is made of three layers of tempered laminated glass imported from Germany.
| Photo Credit:
K.R. DEEPAK

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The ₹7-crore bridge was made of three layers of tempered laminated glass imported from Germany, Mr. Rajesh said. “Each glass is 40-mm thick. It has 40 tonnes of steel support and can withstand a load of up to 500 kg per square metre, which allows more than 100 people to stand on the end deck at a time,” Mr. Rajesh said, adding that the bridge could withstand a wind speed of up to 250 kmph as it was designed keeping in view the experience during the very severe cyclonic storm Hudhud.

“However, for safety reasons, only 40 visitors will be allowed at a time for about 5-10 minutes. We are planning to charge ₹250 to ₹300 per person as against ₹500 per head being collected at the Vagamon facility,” Mr. Rajesh said.

“This sky-walk glass bridge will definitely become a new and novel symbol of Indian tourism. We are confident that it will attract national and international tourists, and put Visakhapatnam on the world tourism map. We have not yet finalised the official date of inauguration, but as per the tentative schedule, it will be opened by next week,” said K.S. Viswanathan, VMRDA Commissioner.