Pune: 20% of Sadhu Vaswani Bridge Demolition Complete, Full Project to Finish by January 2026

Koregaon Park, 8th October 2024: The demolition of the Sadhu Vaswani Bridge, located near St Mira’s College, has reached 20% completion, with the necessary permissions obtained from the Railways and the Traffic Police. According to Pune Municipal Commissioner Rajendra Bhosale, the entire project is expected to take another year and a half, with full completion targeted for January 2026.

The Sadhu Vaswani Bridge, which was constructed over 50 years ago, had become a safety hazard for commuters. Due to its deteriorating condition, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) decided to demolish the old structure and construct a new flyover in its place. While permission to begin the project was granted in May 2023, delays arose due to pending approvals from the traffic police and railway authorities. It wasn’t until May 2024 that the necessary clearances were obtained, and demolition commenced in June 2024.

The PMC has already completed the demolition of the section near Koregaon Park, and foundation work for the new bridge has begun. Work on the remaining portion of the bridge is awaiting a block schedule from the railway administration, which is crucial for completing demolition on the railway side. The PMC has paid the required fee to the railways for the block, which will need to be carried out within a 52-day timeframe.

Bhosale mentioned that permission has been granted by the police traffic branch to work on the bridge, and once the railway schedule is received, progress is expected to speed up.