In a bid to provide much-needed relief from traffic congestion on Sinhagad Road, a vital bridge project spanning the Mutha river and connecting Singhagad Road with the Karve Nagar-Kothrud areas has unfortunately faced substantial delays due to land acquisition hurdles.
The Suncity-Karve Nagar bridge project initially encountered challenges in securing the necessary land. However, persistent efforts eventually paid off, resulting in the acquisition of approximately 95 percent of the required land. Consequently, the project’s tender was awarded to a construction firm in May 2023.
Unfortunately, unforeseen financial difficulties led to the bankruptcy of the construction firm, necessitating the reinitiation of the tendering process. The project has now been awarded to another contractor, further contributing to the project’s delays.
The bridge itself is an ambitious undertaking, measuring 350 meters in length and 30 meters in width, including connecting roads. However, despite its importance in alleviating traffic congestion, it is anticipated to take a minimum of 24 months to complete. This means that the bridge will not offer immediate relief to Sinhagad Road commuters grappling with traffic issues.
Meanwhile, progress continues on the flyover construction on Sinhagad Road at a steady pace, with a projected completion date set for 2025. However, the Mutha river bridge connecting Suncity and Karve Nagar, designed as an alternate route to Sinhagad Road, will not be ready before 2025.
Officials have emphasized that the bridge project was conceived with the primary goal of reducing traffic congestion on the Rajaram Bridge, which connects Kothrud-Karve Nagar and Sinhagad Road. The municipal budget has allocated funds for this essential 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, and Vijay Sudam Patel, who submitted a bid 12 percent lower than the previous contractor, has been awarded the project after approval from the PMC standing committee.
Despite these developments and the progress in land acquisition, which had previously been stalled due to the bridge landing site being on private property, the project has yet to commence. This leaves Sinhagad Road commuters without immediate respite from traffic jams, prompting motorists to call upon authorities to expedite the bridge work without further delay.
The proposed Suncity-Karve Nagar bridge holds immense potential in alleviating traffic congestion in the Sinhagad Road, Kothrud, and Karve Nagar areas. In pursuit of a timely resolution to this issue, Kothrud MLA and state minister Chandrakant Patil recently held discussions with municipal commissioner and administrator Vikram Kumar to expedite the project. Land acquisition, now progressing smoothly with 95 percent of the land secured, has received further financial allocation and PMC approval to ensure the project’s swift progression.
