Foot over Bridge at East Fort

Abstract

Pedestrian accidents are one of the main causes of death worldwide. The neglect is now resulting in 20,000 deaths and more than one lakh injuries every year in India. Enactment of suitable legislation to protect pedestrians, integration of pedestrian facility in highway projects and pedestrian education are necessary steps to enhance the safety on road. Many countries have their own design specifications and standards for pedestrian facilities. Footpaths have become narrow due to widening of roads to accommodate vehicles and in some busy areas they do not exist. People cross the roads with great difficulty. Therefore, proper foot over bridges has to be provided.

In this study, effort has been made to identify the pedestrian traffic demand at East Fort (Bus terminal – Railway station) area at Thiruvananthapuram, owing to its high congestion, poor crossing facilities, great risk of accidents, difficulty to catch the bus or train on time, high pollution and its need for pedestrian safety. A steel lattice girder type foot over bridge is recommended for this site. The main truss, roof truss and other components such as floor, top and bottom chord members, vertical and diagonal members, supporting beam, cross beam, stair, column, diagonal braces and slab base was designed and checked for safety.