PMC to carry out repair work on 40 bridges in phase-wise manner

PMC has estimated ₹ 35 crore to repair these bridges and the work is being carried out in phases. For the first phase, PMC allocated ₹15 crore

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has undertaken repair work on the Yashwantrao Chavan Bridge near Poona Hospital which connects Karve Road and Shivaji Road. The civic body has shortlisted 40 such bridges which are a decade old and need repairs repair work will be carried in phase-wise manner, said officials.

A view of Yashwantrao Chavan Bridge undergoing repairs in Pune on Sunday. (RAHUL RAUT/ HT OTO)

These include Bund Garden bridge, Holkar old bridge, Bopodi old bridge, Aundh-Wakad bridge, old Sangam bridge, Bhide bridge, Savarkar flyover at Paud Road, Neelam talkies flyover, Hadapsar Kirloskar Pneumatic railway flyover, Sadhu Vaswani Road over Bridge (ROB), Koregaon Park; Alankar Talkies railway flyover, Sancheti railway flyover, and old Prince Agakhan flyover near the Old Residency Club.

PMC has estimated ₹ 35 crore to repair these bridges and the work is being carried out in phases. For the first phase, PMC allocated ₹15 crore.

The city has 56 bridges connecting various parts, with 17 bridges over the Mula and Mutha rivers; besides 18 flyovers and nine railway bridges connecting the city.

After finding structural risks on Sadhu Vaswani flyover and Hadapsar flyover, the civic body conducted a comprehensive structural audit of 40 bridges in the city. While the majority was deemed structurally sound, some bridges necessitated bearing replacements, including the Yashwantrao Chavan Bridge.

Sandeep Patil, deputy engineer-special projects (roads) of PMC, said, “The structural audit was carried out as a part of the periodic check by an external agency appointed by PMC. The shortlisted structures require repairs, such as the replacement of bearings and sockets, and maintenance of expansion joints due to wear and tear in view of heavy vehicular movement. Right now, we have started repair work on Yashwantrao Chavan bridge.”

Utilizing hydraulic jacks, one side of the bridge has been elevated for the replacement of bearings, totalling 95 on both sides. The replacement process is anticipated to span eight days, while the overall refurbishment is slated to conclude within a month. However, vehicular traffic on the bridge will continue throughout the duration of the maintenance work.