Pune, 6th November 2025: Construction of the overhead pedestrian bridge at Chandni Chowk on the Mumbai–Bengaluru National Highway has been temporarily stopped, as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) waits for mandatory approvals from Pune Traffic Police and Highway Police.
NHAI has written to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Himmat Jadhav and Highway Superintendent Vikrant Deshmukh asking for permission to manage traffic blocks required during the next phase of construction.
According to officials, work involving the installation of pillars, girders, and iron stairways will need the highway to be fully closed for two to three hours at night over several days. During this period, traffic will be diverted to alternate routes.
Project Director Sanjay Kadam said the work will resume as soon as traffic management planning is finalized and approvals are received.
Chandni Chowk is a major traffic junction in Pune connecting Bavdhan, NDA, Pashan, Mulshi Road, and Paud Road. Despite a ₹865-crore flyover project already in place, pedestrians still face difficulties crossing the busy highway, which sees heavy traffic throughout the day. In response to public demand, NHAI began constructing the foot overbridge, of which roughly 30–40% has been completed.
The structure will also support future expansion of the Pune Metro’s Vanaz–Chandni Chowk line. As per the proposed design, the metro bridge will be linked directly to the foot overbridge to allow commuters easier movement between the two systems.