Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has taken a major step toward reconstructing the Sadhu Vaswani Flyover in Koregaon Park by commencing the removal of its main section over the railway tracks.
The bridge, which has served Pune for over five decades, will be dismantled in 12 separate segments over the course of 12 days. This work will be carried out as per the railway administration’s scheduled block timings.
The Sadhu Vaswani Bridge was a key connector between Koregaon Park and the Camp area, but structural assessments by PMC deemed it unsafe for continued vehicular use. While the foundation stone for a new bridge was laid, demolition faced delays due to technical complexities, particularly in removing the portion over the railway lines. Following extensive coordination with the railway administration, the necessary work blocks have now been approved, allowing for the final phase of dismantling.
Use of Advanced Crane Technology to Expedite Demolition
To efficiently remove the bridge’s main section, two heavy-duty cranes have been brought in from Gujarat and Hyderabad. Transporting and assembling these cranes required 22 containers and took nearly a month. The demolition plan involves cutting the bridge into 12 concrete segments, with one segment removed daily. Under normal circumstances, this process would have taken 50 days, but with the use of these cranes, PMC aims to complete the task within just 12 days. The entire operation will be conducted under the close supervision of railway authorities.
“The removal of the main section of the Sadhu Vaswani Bridge will begin shortly. This marks the first instance of large-scale crane usage for bridge demolition within Pune Municipal Corporation limits, ensuring faster execution.”
– Yuvraj Deshmukh, Chief Engineer, Special Projects Division, PMC
