IIT to review safety audit report of accident-prone Katraj-Narhe stretch

Gadkari reviewed various road development projects in the city after which he held meetings with officials of NHAI, defence, public works department, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and police.

Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Saturday instructed officials of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to send the safety audit report of accident-prone Katraj-Narhe stretch to experts like Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) and take their suggestions.

During the meeting, Pune district collector Rajesh Deshmukh raised safety concerns between Katraj and Narhe stretch (HT FILE PHOTO)

Gadkari reviewed various road development projects in the city after which he held meetings with officials of NHAI, defence, public works department, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and police.

During the meeting, Pune district collector Rajesh Deshmukh raised safety concerns between Katraj and Narhe stretch.

Deshmukh said, “The Navale bridge stretch has become an accident spot. We carried out the safety audit of the stretch with the help of an independent agency and submitted the report to the NHAI.”

NHAI officials confirmed that they got the report and some minor suggestions had been made in it like marking and putting boards on the stretch. They denied any gradient or slope issue, which the locals have claimed.

Gadkar said, “Instead of denying the problems, we should take the opinion of experts like IIT or other agency. Recruit any such agency and check if there is any problem related to construction or others.”

Recently, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Supriya Sule had also raised the safety issue near Narhe.