Sadhu Vashwani ROB in Pune closed for traffic
Originally, the PMC had decided to begin demolition of the ROB in the first week of March and the Pune traffic police had implemented a traffic diversion plan for this in the last week of February. However, the diversion plan did not bear fruit and commuters were faced with traffic jams
Finally, the Pune traffic police has closed the Sadhu Vaswani Railway Overbridge (ROB) from May 27 and implemented a revised traffic diversion plan for the third time at Koregaon Park, Mangaldas Road and Bund Garden ahead of the ROB’s demolition. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been planning to demolish the old ROB and construct a new one in its place since the past one year.
Originally, the PMC had decided to begin demolition of the ROB in the first week of March and the Pune traffic police had implemented a traffic diversion plan for this in the last week of February. However, the diversion plan did not bear fruit and commuters were faced with traffic jams. Local residents too opposed the plan after which, the traffic police revised the plan and allowed one-way traffic on Sadhu Vaswani ROB. At the time, the PMC postponed the demolition of the ROB to May but that too did not take place due to the Lok Sabha (LS) elections. Now that voting in the Pune LS constituency is over, the PMC has decided to demolish the ROB in June, and the traffic police have revised the traffic diversion plan for the third time, putting it into effect from May 27.
Rohidas Pawar, deputy commissioner of police (traffic), said, “We implemented a revised traffic diversion plan to ease traffic problems at Koregaon Park, Mangaldas Road and Bund Garden area. When we introduced the plan, people were facing traffic problems. Now, the traffic problems have reduced. After a few days, people will get used to it.”
A senior official of the PMC project department, said, “We have planned to start demolition of the ROB in the month of June. We have written a letter to the traffic police to close the ROB to traffic. They have complied and introduced a traffic diversion plan. After one week of implementing the traffic plan, they will give us the go-ahead for demolition of the ROB. 0Besides that, we have also written a letter to the railway department to give us closure for the demolition of the ROB. We have also submitted a detailed plan to the railway department. As it is an ROB, we will have to demolish under the guidance of the railway department officials.”
The new Sadhu Vaswani ROB is estimated to cost ₹83 crore and will be 640 metres long and 17.150 metres wide. The ROB will stand at a height of 6.90 metres and is expected to be completed within a period of two-and-a-half-years. The standing committee approved the proposal of constructing a new ROB demolishing the old one last year.
Koregaon Park-Mangaldas Road-Bund Garden area traffic diversion plan
1)One-way traffic has been implemented on the route from Mahatma Gandhi Park Chowk to Blue Diamond Chowk and Mobos Chowk. The alternate route is that vehicles going from Blue Diamond Chowk to Mor Odha Chowk will take a left at Mobos Chowk on Mangaldas Road and a left turn at IB Chowk.
2) One-way traffic has been implemented on the road connecting Mobos Chowk with Mahatma Gandhi Park Chowk. The alternate route is that traffic going to Koregaon Park from Mobos Chowk will take the route via Shriman Chowk and Koregaon Park Junction.
3) Vehicles coming from Shriman Chowk will not be allowed to go to Koregaon Park Junction via Mehta Road. The alternate route is that from Shriman Chowk, take a right turn at Mahatma Gandhi Park Chowk and reach Koregaon Park Junction.
4) One-way traffic will be implemented as and when required on the route from IB Chowk to Circuit House Chowk to Mor Odha.