Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has approved an additional payment of ₹14 crore to MahaMetro for the construction of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee flyover at Nal Stop Chowk on Karve Road. The decision was made during the standing committee meeting chaired by Pune Municipal Commissioner Dr. Rajendra Bhosale.
The flyover was constructed to ease traffic congestion on Karve Road as part of the Vanaz Corner to Ramwadi Metro project. Initially, the project was approved by PMC in 2020 with an estimated cost of ₹39 crore. However, after the completion of the work, MahaMetro reported a total expenditure of ₹58 crore and sought an additional ₹19 crore from PMC.
To verify the claim, PMC appointed COEP (College of Engineering Pune) as a consultant to evaluate the project and expenditure. COEP's report concluded that the additional cost was ₹14 crore, not ₹19 crore. Based on this finding, PMC approved the payment of ₹14 crore.
The funds for this payment have been allocated from the ₹15.80 crore reserved for Metro-related work in PMC's current budget.
The Vanaz to Ramwadi metro route recently became fully operational after the Yerawada Metro Station was officially opened in August 2024. The Yerawada metro station is notable for its unique design, inspired by the historic Dandi March—a significant event in India’s freedom movement.