PMC Accelerates Bridge Repairs in Pune After Kundamala Incident

Pune, 17 June 2025: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has intensified its efforts to repair aging bridges across the city following the recent Kundamala bridge incident that raised concerns about structural safety. A comprehensive structural audit of 98 key bridges in Pune revealed that 38 bridges, each over a decade old, require urgent repairs, while the remaining 60 are deemed structurally sound due to their relatively younger age.

So far, repair work on eight bridges, including well-known ones like the V. Bha. Patil Bridge in Bopodi, Veer Savarkar Flyover at Paud Phata, and Rajiv Gandhi Bridge in Aundh, have been successfully completed. The PMC has planned to repair the remaining 30 bridges in phases to ensure minimal disruption to daily traffic. Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram has directed officials to speed up this work to prevent any future mishaps.

Pune’s landscape is dotted with a variety of bridges and culverts due to the Mula-Mutha river, which runs for 44 kilometers through the city. Historical structures like the Holkar Bridge and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Bridge date back to the British era, adding to the challenge of balancing heritage preservation with modern safety standards. In addition to bridges over rivers, the city also has flyovers at major intersections, railway overpasses, and numerous culverts over drains.

In September 2019, unprecedented rainfall caused severe flooding in the Ambil stream, rendering several bridges unsafe. Since then, PMC has prioritized bridge safety by constructing new culverts and carrying out regular audits. Currently, the city has 98 bridges and subways, including 32 river bridges, nine railway overpasses, 20 flyovers, 18 pedestrian subways, nine vehicle subways, and ten pedestrian bridges.

Citizens are being urged to cooperate with temporary diversions and traffic adjustments as the PMC undertakes these vital repairs. The administration has assured that the work will be completed in phases with proper planning to avoid major inconveniences. The proactive push for timely repairs aims to strengthen Pune’s infrastructure and ensure public safety.