There is a street-level alternative to the winding, 650m elevated walkway connection to CIQ at ground level. It has weather protection (from the elevated road above), some new landscaping amongst the sea of concrete, and varied views fairly similar to the ones from the elevated walkway. In theory, perhaps pedestrians could be expected to walk this way instead of using an elevated walkway. In fact, however, the elevated walkway experience is more attractive; especially if it happens to be raining. Down below pedestrians need to cross some roads, and generally pay attention as there are various obstacles and points where the walkway narrows. Up above, the unobstructed thoroughfare allows pedestrians to move serenely and obliviously along in a space between the elevated roads to the west, the roads & parking below, and the train station and trucks to either side.
Apart from the generous width, excellent weather protection and good lighting, cleaning and maintenance ensured by making the mall develop responsible, a key success factor in this long elevated walkway may have been achieved unintentionally. The need of the elevated walkway to weave around and under a large number of pillars from elevated roads and ramps and pass over the road below results in a walkway which rather than being direct, has slight deviations. Consequently sight lines are continually refreshed, and the experience is more appealing than just walking along an arrow-straight walkway would have been.