Pune university chowk flyover delayed due to monsoon

The monsoon has caused a slight setback to the ambitious, two-level integrated flyover at University chowk to be developed by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA).

Vivek Kharvadkar, project in-charge, PMRDA, said, “As the road-widening work of Baner road is continuing at a slow pace due to the rains, work on the flyover has been delayed slightly. We had estimated that work would begin in the first week of August but there is a slight delay in completing the road-widening of the main chowk.”

The integrated flyover at University chowk is part of the proposed 23km elevated third metro line from Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar that will connect the information technology (IT) hub of Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar. The cost of this stretch of the project is Rs250 crore which the PMRDA has requested from the state government.

Rinaj Pathan, superintending engineer for the project, PMRDA, said, “The University chowk is a very busy chowk, with traffic from Pashan, Baner and Aundh and until the road-widening and proper barricading work is not completed, we will not begin for this will affect the traffic which we do not want.”

Pathan said, “Eleven piling rigs for the integrated flyover have already arrived, and we have begun work on two piling rigs at University chowk, which will be station number 19.”

She added that double-decker flyover pre-construction activities such as utility trenching have begun but the utilities that are at University chowk need to be shifted once the road-widening at Modern college and encroachment at a nearby property are cleared. “This is a long bridge of 1.7 km with a ramp where work on both the metro and flyover is being carried out simultaneously for 200 metre of the chowk,” Pathan said.

The integrated flyover project was undertaken to ensure smooth traffic movement at the chowk with vehicular movement at the first level and the metro at the second level of the proposed integrated double-decker flyover.