Katraj-Dehu road bypass: PWD commits to making “safety arrangements”

Regarding the service road works underway on both sides of the Katraj to Dehu road bypass highway and demarcation between the highway and service road unclear at several spots, PWD commits to making “safety arrangements”

PUNE: With service road works underway on both sides of the Katraj to Dehu road bypass highway and demarcation between the highway and service road unclear at several spots, especially along the Katraj to Navale bridge chowk stretch, thousands of commuters who use this route daily are facing a risk to their lives.

No barricades to ongoing construction work of service road which creates a major risk to commuters on Katraj to Dehu Road bypass highway in Pune, on Wednesday. PWD commits to making “safety arrangements” on the stretch. (Pratham Gokhale/HT Photo)

A senior official from the state public works department (PWD) said, “The service road work has been awarded to a private contractor and it is that contractor’s duty to put up barricades and maintain the safety of vehicles and commuters. Still we will once again review the risky spots and make necessary safety arrangements.”

The seriousness of the issue once again came to the fore on October 4 when a youth, 37, died on-the-spot on this fatal stretch where the bypass highway suddenly becomes narrow even as a slope goes down to the service road on the side.

Also along the stretch near Potdar International school, there are no barricades where the service road work is underway. The highway suddenly becomes narrow so one cannot differentiate between the highway and the service road which has been dug up with JCB machines operating on site. It is especially difficult at night to distinguish between the highway and the open service road as there are no reflectors, signage boards or barricades at the spot.