Balewadi-Wakad Bridge: Residents Frustrated as Rs 31 Crore Bridge Lies Unused for Six Years
Pune, 27th December 2025: A Rs 31 crore bridge meant to ease traffic in Pune’s bustling western suburbs has become a monument to bureaucratic delay. The Balewadi-Wakad Bridge, completed in 2019 over the Mula River, remains unused six years later, with the final 200-meter connecting road on the Balewadi side still pending due to land acquisition issues.
Stretching 175 meters, the bridge was designed to seamlessly link Baner, Wakad, and Balewadi. Yet, residents and commuters continue to navigate congested streets as the “Bridge to Nowhere” sits idle, its potential benefits unrealized. Despite a 2025 directive from the Bombay High Court, which instructed the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to complete pending formalities within two months and sanctioned ₹25 crore for the project, the missing link remains incomplete.
Local residents voiced mounting frustration. “The PCMC side is fully ready. The remaining stretch is on PMC’s side. Completing it would ease traffic for thousands daily,” said one of the residents from Wakad. “It’s ironic that an Rs 31 crore bridge sits unused. Soon, maintenance costs will kick in, yet we haven’t benefited from it at all,” another resident added.
Officials cite land acquisition as the primary bottleneck. Former corporator Aarti Chondhe explained that the PMC portion was expected to be acquired by January 2025, while Amol Balwadkar noted that 90% of the 1,600-meter connecting road is complete, with only 150–200 meters pending due to negotiations with remaining landowners. Dilip Kale, Executive Engineer, PMC, confirmed that formal approvals are awaited from nine stakeholders before construction can resume.
For Pune’s western suburbs, the bridge represents more than concrete and steel—it is a crucial lifeline for easing traffic congestion and improving daily commutes. Residents and civic leaders stress that resolving the land acquisition deadlock is imperative. The final 200 meters now stand as a test of the administration’s ability to deliver long-promised infrastructure and restore faith in public projects.
