Bridge ready since Nov. but lying idle

Snehal Sonawane & Pranjal Bhuyan / TNN / Jan 20, 2006, 12:01 IST

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The new bridge connecting Wakdewadi and Sangamwadi remains closed to the public due to a dispute between the PMC and local landowners.

PUNE: Two months have passed since the new bridge connecting Wakdewadi and Sangamwadi over the Mula-Mutha river was completed, but it remains closed to the public due to a dispute between the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and local landowners over a plot of land.
Although citizens are anxiously waiting to use the bridge as it is expected to reduce the commuting time for those travelling to and from Vishrantwadi, Yerwada, Alandi, Dighi and Lohegaon to city hubs like Deccan and Kothrud, the bridge will remain closed till the problem is solved.
The dispute has led to a delay in the construction of the approach road to the bridge from the Sangamwadi side, which passes through land owned by locals. The total length of the road is around 1 km.
The bridge, a vital alternative route which will reduce commuting time to the airport, has been lying idle since November and there's been no announcement by the authorities on when it will open.

A.D. Devkar, chief contractor of the project, told TOI that the progress made on the construction front has been slow due to some legal tangles. He said the PMC has given his Nigdi-based Devkar Constructions a contract worth Rs 49.86 lakh for the entire project.
PMC deputy commissioner (land acquisition) Suraj Mandhre told TOI that the process to resolve the dispute was on. "Some property owners who own land near the approach road, which is to be constructed on the Sangamwadi side, have gone to court.

We are talking to them to resolve the issue," he said. PMC road department chief Srinivas Bonala said the alignment of the road has to be changed, which will require some time.
Meanwhile, citizens who use the only two alternatives available �� Holkar bridge and Sangam bridge �� are the worst affected due to the delay. Many corporate offices located along the Mumbai-Pune road will benefit once the bridge is open to the public.
"The bridge will help our employees who often travel to the airport. Even those residing in Yerwada can avoid the major traffic on the Holkar bridge," an official, who did not wish to be named, said.
Another citizen, Abhay Joshi, who frequently commutes to Vishrantwadi from Deccan, said: "Hopefully, the new bridge will open soon, as the Holkar bridge is congested during peak hours."

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