Pune: Taking advantage of empty roads due to the 10-day lockdown imposed in the city from Tuesday, the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has begun demolishing the two flyovers in Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) junction on Ganeshkhind road. The two flyover bridges will be demolished in three phases to minimise the inconvenience to commuters.
The PMRDA and Pune Traffic Police officials have planned four alternate routes for vehicular traffic to be diverted when citizens will step out after the lockdown period is over. The demolition work is expected to finish by the month-end. In the first phase, the part of the flyover which ends at Chatuhshrungi and goes towards Pashan will be demolished. The Baner and Aundh wing will be taken down in the second and third phase respectively.
The PMRDA has undertaken the Hinjawadi-Shivajinagar Metro route project work. The existing flyovers on Ganeshkhind road at Pune University junction and in front of ESquare multiplex were an obstruction for this metro line. Thus PMRDA had proposed that the two flyovers be demolished and a two-tier flyover be constructed along the metro line. The total estimated cost of this project is Rs 274 crore. The project has been awarded to Tata-Siemens company.
The PMC recently gave its NOC to demolish the bridges on a precondition that the PMRDA will bear all the expense of demolishing the two bridges, removing all the debris, repair works on the road and construction of the new two-tier flyover and metro line at the site.
After receiving the NOC, officials of PMRDA, PMC and Traffic Police visited the site last week on Wednesday. PMRDA Planner Vivek Kharvadkar, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Nagnath Wakude, PMC's Dinkar Gojari, Corporator Aditya Malwe and local citizens were present during this visit. They assured citizens that during the demolition work of the bridges, traffic inconvenience will be minimized. Police have appealed to citizens to use alternate routes to avoid congestions at the university junction and nearby areas.
