Unfinished foot over bridge at Pune's Pratik Nagar raises safety concerns
A foot over bridge (FoB) installed at Pratiknagar in Vishrantwadi has been lying incomplete for over three months. Residents claim that the bridge has no staircases and cannot be used. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) should complete the work immediately to avoid untoward incidents, they said.
Anand Adsul, a resident of Vishrantwadi, said, 'The FoB crosses a drain with encroachments on both sides. Without staircases, it serves no purpose.'
In 2014, the PMC built a pedestrian bridge at Vishrantwadi Chowk, where five major roads meet. The junction is always busy due to traffic, street vendors, encroachments, and illegal parking. The bridge was built at a cost of ₹4 crore to help people cross the Alandi Road, Dhanori, and airport junction safely.
However, the bridge was too high and the lift often didn't work. Very few people used it, and it was poorly maintained. In 2023, PMC decided to scrap it and build a flyover and grade separator instead.
Later, the PMC project department dismantled the old FoB and decided to reuse its parts. One section was installed at the College of Engineering, Pune (CoEP) hostel on Jangli Maharaj Road and is now operational. Another section was placed at Pratik Nagar, Vishrantwadi, but without staircases.
Residents from Pratiknagar, Mohanwadi, Panchsheel Nagar, Adarsh Nagar, and Maji Sainik Nagar say the FoB could help cross the busy Alandi Road. But the height and lack of access make it unusable—especially for senior citizens.
Sandeep Patil, executive engineer at PMC's project department, said, 'Drainage work is underway at the FoB site. We're connecting a line from the underpass to the nearby drain. Due to pre-monsoon rains, the work has been delayed. Once it's done, we'll install the staircases.'
Vinod Pawar, civic activist, said, 'The bridge work should be finished before the Palkhi procession. If any untoward incident occurs, PMC will be responsible.'
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Hindustan Times
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