Pune: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced the upcoming construction of a foot over bridge (FOB) at Chandani Chowk. The tender process has been completed, and the contract for the project has been awarded to MD Infra, a company based in Kolhapur.

The FOB will span 100 meters from the new ST bus stop at Chandani Chowk to the Irani Cafe in Bavdhan. The final stages of the contract agreement between NHAI and MD Infra are currently underway, with construction set to begin next month.

Pedestrians, especially those heading towards NDA, Bhugaon, Mulshi, or walking from NDA to Kothrud and Bavdhan, have no safe crossing, endangering their lives as they navigate the busy highway.

To address the safety and inconvenience of commuters, Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol haD written to Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, urging the immediate construction of the foot over bridge.

The Chandani Chowk flyover, part of the busy Mumbai-Bengaluru National Highway, sees high-speed traffic and heavy vehicles. Regular commuters to and from Sangli, Satara, Kolhapur, and Mumbai are significantly affected.

Thousands of commuters have had to cross the highway daily, risking their lives. Without the bridge, pedestrians either walk three kilometers to cross the highway or pay a hefty sum of 120 rupees for a rickshaw ride over the same distance.

Late at night, when rickshaws are often unavailable, commuters needing to cross to the opposite side had to take a long detour of 2-3 kilometers. Rickshaw drivers took advantage of the situation by charging exorbitant fares.

The new FOB will allow pedestrians to cross the highway safely within five minutes, alleviating the current inconvenience.