Pune, 5th July 2025: Despite being completed in 2018-19 at a cost of ₹31 crore, the bridge over the Mula river connecting Balewadi and Wakad remains unopened for public use due to unresolved land acquisition issues. On Friday, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil visited the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and held direct discussions with Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram to resolve the matter.
The core issue lies with the approach road on the Balewadi side. The PMC has been unable to take possession of the required land, despite multiple rounds of negotiations with the landowners. With increasing traffic congestion in Baner, Wakad, and on the National Highway, the delay in opening the bridge has become a serious concern for commuters.
The bridge project was jointly approved by the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporations in 2013. Though the structure was completed six years ago, lack of access roads has rendered it unusable. The Balewadi approach road, in particular, remains stuck due to resistance from landowners.
Minister Chandrakant Patil, frustrated with the continued delay, instructed PMC officials to initiate compulsory land acquisition if the landowners continue to withhold cooperation. He stressed that public inconvenience cannot be ignored and directed the administration to act swiftly and transparently.
The required land area is around 15,000 square meters and involves 11 individual landowners. Minister Patil has directed the civic body to prepare a time-bound plan and ensure the bridge is opened for traffic at the earliest.