Pune: PCMC’s Mula River Bridge Faces Overspending Concerns with New Rs 20 Crore Tender
Varad Bhatkhande
Pune, 13th April 2024: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is nearing the completion of a bridge over the Mula River connecting Sangvi to Bopodi. While the project has already cost 42 crore INR, a new tender for 20 crore INR has been issued for the same bridge. The administration has explained that the additional tender is for the decorative arch and aesthetic enhancements to the bridge.
The existing narrow bridge near Spicer Memorial College in Sangvi, which connects Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune city, is known to cause frequent traffic jams due to its one-lane road. To alleviate this issue, PCMC initiated the construction of a new bridge from Datta Ashram in Sangvi to Chandramani Nagar in Bopodi. This new bridge is 760 meters long and consists of two lanes, with a width of 18.60 meters. It includes reach roads of 80 meters on the Sangvi side and 555 meters on the Pune side. The Standing Committee approved the bridge’s cost of 41 crore 63 lakh INR on September 11, 2021. Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will cover half of the cost.
The construction company T and T Infra Limited had been working on the project with a two-year timeline and aimed to open the bridge for traffic in January 2024. However, the project faced delays due to the unavailability of land at the agricultural college in Pune. With the land now available, the bridge work has entered its final stage, and PCMC officials are confident the bridge will be ready before the monsoon season.
Despite the progress, a new tender has been issued for additional work on the bridge, specifically for decorating the arch and carrying out other ancillary projects. This new tender amounts to 19 crore 63 lakh 56 thousand 396 INR, raising concerns about potential overspending on the project. Critics have alleged that the additional 20 crore INR may be wasted on decorative elements.
Sandhya Wagh, Executive Engineer at PCMC, has explained that the new tender is for creating an attractive design for the arch and other necessary works on the Sangvi-Bopodi bridge.
