Patil asks PMC to acquire land on priority as Balewadi-Wakad bridge lies unused
The bridge, constructed jointly by the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporations at a cost of ₹31 crore, was completed in 2018-19. However, it remains non-operational as authorities have not been able to acquire the 15,000 sq m of land needed to construct the approach roads
A bridge built over the Mula River to connect Balewadi and Wakad has remained inaccessible to citizens for over five years due to delays in acquiring access road land. Taking note of the issue, higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil has instructed the administration to initiate compulsory land acquisition if negotiations continue to fail.
Patil, who reviewed key civic projects during a meeting with Pune municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram on Friday, expressed displeasure over the delay. “It is an administrative failure that the land acquisition has not been completed even after all these years. Either convince the landowners or begin the process of compulsory acquisition,” Patil said.
The bridge, constructed jointly by the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporations at a cost of ₹31 crore, was completed in 2018-19. However, it remains non-operational as authorities have not been able to acquire the 15,000 sq m of land needed to construct the approach roads.
Officials said negotiations with landowners have been ongoing for several years, but no breakthrough has been achieved.
Approved in 2013, the project was aimed at easing traffic congestion in Baner, Wakad, and along the Mumbai–Bengaluru highway. However, without access roads, the bridge remains unused and continues to deteriorate.
