The cost of a planned pedestrian bridge over Lankershim Boulevard in Universal City has risen by more than a third, according to a new report.

The three-cornered walkway across Lankershim and Universal Hollywood Drive will now cost more than $27 million, transit officials said Monday. The price was originally pegged at $19.5 million.

The additional expenditure will be considered at a Metropolitan Transportation Authority committee meeting Thursday. Nearby landowner NBC Universal is offering to pay $3.9 million of the new expense, officials said.

The controversial bridge, which won MTA approval last year, is opposed by some transit groups, who argue the project caters to cars because the walkway removes pedestrians from the busy intersections.

Monday’s news of the increased price tag fueled opponents’ skepticism about the project.

“This just adds to the argument for having a better alternative,” said Faramarz Nabavi, president of the USC Bike and Transit Law Society.

Planned for the Universal City Metro Red Line stop, the bridge will cross Lankershim and Universal Hollywood Drive to connect with a commercial building,

Supporters, including Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, say it will better accommodate the 700-800 pedestrians the city estimates cross Lankershim Boulevard during peak hours . The project also satisfies an outstanding legal agreement with NBC Universal, which owns the hilltop near the site, to build a passageway across the thoroughfare.

Alternatives, such as an undergound tunnel, Yaroslavsky has argued, are too costly.

Opponents say the bridge is awkward looking and represents outdated planning approaches that cede the street level to cars.

A “pedestrian scramble” that uses traffic lights to stop cars at all four corners, is preferable, believes Nabavi, who adds that the MTA should instead be spending money on pedestrian improvements citywide.

Other transit advocates contend a tunnel is the best option, with NBC Universal picking up half the tab.

The city and Los Angeles County officials recently approved a sprawling NBC Universal $1.6-billion office and production space project near the Red Line stop.

With construction set to commence soon, the MTA recently sent out bids. Estimates came back at more than more than $27 million, with the rising cost of construction affecting bid prices, said Metro spokesman Dave Sotero, reiterating the intended purpose of the bridge. “The bridge meets the needs of safely transporting people across the street,” he said.

The bridge will also connect to the existing elevators at the Red Line subway stop. Project architect Rios Clementi Hale Studios calls the bridge an “elegant and efficient” addition to the area.