Cotton Market Metro Skywalk Set for June Opening — CMRS Inspection Done, Minor Fixes Underway
Published: May 24, 2026 | Category: Nagpur Local | By: Nagpur Updates Desk
The wait is almost over.
After months of delays, shifting deadlines, and regulatory hurdles, the Cotton Market Metro skywalk is finally inching towards its opening. The Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) has completed its inspection of the structure. A few minor modifications have been flagged. Those fixes are currently underway. And MahaMetro is now targeting a June 2026 opening.
For commuters who use the Cotton Market Metro Station on the Aqua Line — one of Nagpur’s busiest metro stations — this is genuinely good news.
What the CMRS Inspection Found
The CMRS inspection is a mandatory safety clearance process before any new metro infrastructure can be opened to the public. It is thorough, non-negotiable, and cannot be bypassed.
During the recent inspection, CMRS officials visited the 120-metre foot over bridge (FoB) and recommended a few minor modifications along with some protocol-related changes. Officials were clear that these are standard safety and operational procedure requirements — not structural concerns.
A senior MahaMetro official confirmed: “CMRS officials inspected the structure and recommended a few modifications as part of standard operational and safety procedures. The required changes are being carried out and, once completed, the skywalk is expected to open in June.”
The modifications are currently underway. They are expected to be completed shortly — clearing the path for the final CMRS nod and a public opening.
What the Skywalk Is and Where It Goes
The Cotton Market skywalk is a ₹10 crore foot over bridge (FoB) built as a second entry and exit point for Cotton Market Metro Station.
Here are the key details:
- Length: 120 metres
- Location: Stretches across the centre of Cotton Market Square
- Connectivity: Links the metro station to the Lohapul side
- Facilities: Equipped with staircases and lifts — making it accessible for elderly passengers and those with mobility needs
- Metro Line: Aqua Line — between Sitabuldi Interchange and Nagpur Railway Station
The skywalk does not just add a second entry to the station. It also creates a safe, elevated pedestrian crossing over one of central Nagpur’s most chaotic junctions — giving pedestrians a way to cross Cotton Market Square without navigating the heavy ground-level traffic.
Why This Station Needed a Second Entry — Urgently
Cotton Market Metro Station sits at a uniquely strategic location. It is on the Aqua Line — Nagpur Metro’s East-West corridor — and is surrounded by some of the city’s most high-footfall commercial destinations.
The station is directly adjacent to Nagpur’s wholesale vegetable and orange markets — two of the busiest trading hubs in central India. Thousands of traders, labourers, buyers, and visitors pass through this area every single day.
Despite this extraordinary footfall and strategic importance, the station has — since its opening on September 21, 2023 — operated with only one entry and exit point. During peak hours, this single entry creates serious bottlenecks. Commuters queue up, crowd the entry gate, and face delays that undermine the very efficiency that metro travel is supposed to provide.
A second entry point — connected via an elevated walkway directly to the Lohapul side — addresses this problem directly. It distributes passenger flow across two access points. It reduces crowding at the existing entry. And it makes the station accessible from a completely new direction — opening up a whole new catchment of potential metro users from the Lohapul corridor.
A Timeline of Delays
The Cotton Market skywalk has had a troubled journey. Honesty demands that this be acknowledged alongside the good news of the approaching opening.
August 2024: Construction of the FoB begins. Initial completion target: August 2025.
August 2025 deadline missed: Delays attributed to monsoon disruptions, festive-season labour shortages, and pending regulatory approvals.
October 2025 revised target: Also missed.
March 2026: Physical structure completed. However, the opening stalled — awaiting fire safety clearances and the final CMRS inspection.
May 2026: CMRS inspection completed. Minor modifications flagged. Work on fixes underway.
June 2026: Target opening date — now the most realistic and credible deadline in this project’s history.
The two-month gap between physical completion and the opening — waiting for fire clearances and CMRS nod — is a pattern seen in other MahaMetro infrastructure projects as well. Regulatory clearances, while essential for safety, have added considerable time to the project’s total timeline.
What Changes for Commuters When It Opens
When the Cotton Market skywalk opens in June, the practical benefits for commuters will be immediate.
Less crowding at the existing entry. With two access points now available, the single-entry bottleneck that has plagued the station since its opening will be significantly eased.
Direct access from Lohapul. Commuters approaching from the Lohapul direction — currently forced to walk around to the existing entry — will have a direct, convenient access point at their end.
Lift access. The inclusion of lifts makes the station — and the elevated crossing — accessible to elderly passengers, passengers with luggage, and those with disabilities. This is a meaningful improvement in inclusivity.
Safer pedestrian crossing. The elevated walkway provides a safe crossing of Cotton Market Square — one of central Nagpur’s most congested junctions — without exposing pedestrians to ground-level traffic.
Part of Nagpur Metro’s Growing Infrastructure
The Cotton Market skywalk is one of several infrastructure upgrades being added to Nagpur Metro’s network as the system matures and passenger experience is progressively improved.
Just as Nagpur Metro recently announced its upgrade to the One Nation One Card NCMC system and all 24 EV charging stations at Metro stations were restored to full operation, the Cotton Market skywalk represents the next step in making Nagpur Metro a truly world-class urban transit system — one that is not just technically functional but genuinely convenient and accessible for every commuter.
June 2026 cannot come soon enough for the thousands of daily commuters at Cotton Market.
Nagpur Updates will confirm the exact opening date of the Cotton Market Metro skywalk as soon as it is announced. Stay tuned!
Tags: Cotton Market Metro, MahaMetro, Skywalk Nagpur, CMRS, Nagpur Metro Aqua Line, Foot Over Bridge, Lohapul Nagpur, Nagpur Transport, Nagpur Local News 2026
