Pune: Delayed Suncity-Karve Nagar Bridge Project Hampers Sinhagad Road Traffic Relief
Pune, 11th September 2023: A vital bridge project over the Mutha river, connecting Singhagad Road with Karve Nagar-Kothrud areas, aimed at providing an alternative route to Sinhagad Road and alleviating traffic congestion during flyover construction, has faced significant delays due to land acquisition hurdles.
Initially, the Suncity-Karve Nagar bridge project encountered obstacles in securing the required land. However, subsequent efforts led to the acquisition of approximately 95 percent of the land, resulting in the project’s tender being awarded to a construction firm in May 2023.
Unfortunately, this firm faced financial difficulties and went bankrupt. Consequently, the tendering process had to be reinitiated, and the project has now been awarded to another contractor.
The bridge itself is an ambitious 350 meters in length and 30 meters in width, including connecting roads. However, it is projected to take a minimum of 24 months for completion, meaning it will not provide immediate relief from traffic congestion on Sinhagad Road.
While progress continues on the flyover construction at a steady pace, with a projected completion date of 2025, the Mutha river bridge connecting Suncity and Karve Nagar, intended as an alternate route for Sinhagad Road, will not be ready before 2025.
An official explained that the bridge was conceived to reduce traffic congestion on Rajaram Bridge, connecting Kothrud-Karvenagar and Sinhagad Road. The municipal budget has allocated funds for this project, with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) estimating an expenditure of Rs 37 crores. The public works department (PWD) will oversee the bridge’s construction. Vijay Sudam Patel, who placed a bid 12 percent lower than the previous contractor, has been awarded the project after approval from the PMC standing committee.
Despite these developments, the project has yet to commence, leaving Sinhagad Road commuters without immediate respite from traffic jams. Motorists are urging authorities to initiate the bridge work promptly.
The proposed bridge is poised to alleviate traffic congestion in the Sinhagad Road, Kothrud, and Karve Nagar areas. Kothrud MLA and state minister Chandrakant Patil recently met with municipal commissioner and administrator Vikram Kumar to expedite the project.
Land acquisition, previously stalled due to the bridge landing site being on private property, has made significant progress, with 95 percent of the land secured. The PMC has allocated Rs 7.5 crore for acquiring the remaining land, which has also received PMC approval.
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