Sus-Pashan bridge work to be completed by August-end

PMC officials said work of the Sus-Pashan bridge has reached the final stage and will be completed by August-end

PUNE The work of the Sus-Pashan bridge has reached the final stage and will be completed by August-end, said officials. The work on the bridge has already been delayed as it was expected to be completed in March 2022.

PMC officials said work of the Sus-Pashan bridge has reached the final stage and will be completed by August-end. (HT)

Ajay Wayase, executive engineer, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), said, “The work of the last slab has started today (Thursday) so till August-end the bridge will be ready for inauguration. After eight days, tracing and de-shuttering of the slab will happen. Work of placing dividers, painting work, fixing lights on the roads and tar laying process will be done in a month.”

“Due to ongoing heavy rains, we cannot continue tar laying work right now. Other works are going on with great speed. Initially, the work of the bridge was delayed due to Covid-19 restrictions and then there was a shortage of workers. At present there are adequate sources to finish the work early,” said Wayase.

When HT visited the spot, on Thursday, at least 90 per cent of the bridge work was completed. The work above the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway is complete and major work is going on at the side ends of the bridge.

The new bridge will measure eighteen metres in width as against the existing Pashan-Sus bridge which is eight metres in width and it is proving inadequate given the increase in the number of residential societies and IT companies in Hinjewadi and Sus.

The new flyover will connect the Mumbai-Bengaluru national highway to Sus and Pashan with a 350-metre road from the west side.

The proposal for the new bridge was put forward a few years ago by local corporator Baburao Chandere.

The work is being overseen by the special project department of the PMC under the guidelines of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The total cost of the project is Rs40 crore.

Since the construction of the bridge started in 2020 commuters are currently using the alternate Sus road via Supreme headquarters to Nanawre subway.

As traffic for Hinjewadi IT park has increased, regular commuters are facing problems of traffic congestion.

Atul Gore, an IT professional, said, “Right from the beginning the work of the bridge is going at a slow speed. PMC officials should realise that commuters are having tough times driving from the alternate road every day during monsoon. It should be completed on priority.”