Pune’s COEP flyover hits bumps in the road

Senior PMC official said the delay was due to land acquisition following a dispute with the owner

Third part of the College of Engineering Pune (COEP) flyover is taking longer than its stipulated time thus, creating congestion at the junction instead of solving the traffic problems.

The COEP flyover, which is due on August 31, is still nearing completion. (Ravindra Joshi/HT PHOTO)

This COEP flyover is with Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), who have been allotted a total budget of ₹2,248.3 crore for roads, traffic and transport. Out of this, 95% has been already utilised.

According to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) website, out of the three flyover projects handled by chief engineer, the current update on the one from Wakadewadi to COEP chowk (maximum height of 19 metre at the Y-junction near COEP) opened to traffic in October 2014, while the flyover from RTO to Sancheti Hospital chowk, (9.5 m wide starting near metallurgy department of the college till Shopper’s Stop departmental store towards Khadki) opened to traffic in October 2015.

The ‘S’ shaped flyover from Sangamwadi to Sancheti Hospital chowk, too, opened for traffic by October 2016.

However, works of part of the third flyover is still on and are nearing completion. It has crossed its extended deadline of July. This part of the flyover will further streamline the traffic from Sangam bridge and Patil Estate.

Senior PMC official, who was involved in the planning and execution of the project, spoke to Hindustan Times on condition of anonymity, “We plan to complete the flyover soon. It was suppose to be completed by August 31. But, the actual scope of work is yet to be completed by the present contractor while the concrete work is almost done. We had problem with the corner plot where the Kherawala property is located as there was a dispute with the owner and in the acquisition of the land. This case was, however, disposed later.”

“Though the actual work will be over on August 31, only works opposite to CID office is still pending though it doesn’t come under the present contractor’s works. It will take us about one and half month to two month’s time because we need to divert the entire traffic under the flyover. There is also bitumen work to be done towards Pimpri side, if I get one or two days, I can complete it, but unfortunately only half the road is open to traffic from CID side and the other side we are not able to complete because of the traffic,” he added.

We need to have the traffic diverted if we want to complete the entire 11-metre stretch of the road and until now, we have managed to complete only 5-kilometre of that stretch, the senior PMC official said. PMC officials said that 95% of the work of the 400-metre flyover has been completed and the rest is expected to get over soon. According to another PMC official, the COEP flyover is crucial to enter the city as it is an important traffic hub connecting roads leading to railway station and airport, old National Highway 4, Jungli Maharaj Road, Ganeshkhind Road and major hospitals on Bund Garden Road.