By Nityanjali Bulsu
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the final phase of the Sinhagad Road Flyover on Monday, September 1st, at 3pm, officially opening it for public use.
The flyover is aimed at easing the traffic congestion and flow on the roads, providing much needed relief to the residents of Pune. Prior to this inauguration, two flyover bridges were inaugurated by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar due to the non-availability of the chief minister, particularly at the insistence of a local BJP legislator, Madhuri Misal.
The flyover project, however, was not just limited to the three double decker flyovers. This project also includes several bridges- a one way flyover bridge connecting Vitalwadi and Veer Baji Pasalkar Udyan and a 2100 metre long bridge connecting Vithalwadi to Funtime Cinema among many others. These flyovers jumped many other flyovers and junctions, which is expected to provide relief in traffic on the roads for the Maharashtrian citizens.
This inauguration took place a week after a protest led by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Sharachandra Pawar from Nationalist Congress party and Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray from Shiv Sena. The protest was aimed at the allegation that BJP was delaying the inauguration of the flyover despite its completion due to the unavailability of Chief Minister Fadnavis.
The project cost Rs 118 crores in total, with the first phase completed at a cost of Rs 15 crores, the second phase at a cost of Rs 61 crore and the final phase at the cost of Rs 42 crore.
The new flyover is likely to give big relief to traffic on Sinhagad Road. People from Dhayri, Nanded City, Vadgaon Budruk, Khadakwasla, and Narhe, along with those travelling towards the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway, will gain from it. Moving between Funtime Theatre and Vitthalwadi will get quicker, with officials saying daily time saved could be 15 to 25 minutes. The double-decker flyover allows smooth travel across nine busy junctions, cutting down traffic jams in a big way.