Pune: The long-awaited demolition of the aging Sadhu Vaswani Bridge in the Koregaon Park area has finally begun.

Initially scheduled to start after the Palakhi procession, the work commenced four days earlier. Once the demolition is complete, construction of a new bridge will begin.

The Sadhu Vaswani Bridge, over 50 years old, was deemed hazardous for heavy traffic. Following this assessment, the municipal corporation planned to demolish the bridge and construct a new one.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the new bridge was conducted on April 15 last year by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil.

Despite this, the bridge work faced delays. The municipal administration's special projects department persistently followed up with the railway administration for permission to demolish the bridge. Simultaneously, continuous meetings with the police administration were held to address traffic concerns.

Even after a year, the project remained pending. After a report in 'Sakal' highlighted the issue, the administration expedited the work.

The railway administration had granted permission for the demolition, but the process was further delayed due to the Lok Sabha elections and subsequent vote counting. The municipal commissioner had announced that the work would begin after the Palakhi procession.

However, prior to the procession, Commissioner Dr. Bhosale inspected the site and ordered the commencement of the demolition process. Four days ago, the demolition of the old bridge began. This work is expected to be completed soon, after which the construction of the new bridge will commence.

Chief Engineer (Special Projects) Srinivas Bonala stated, "The demolition of Sadhu Vaswani Bridge started four days ago. The work will be completed quickly, and the construction of the new bridge will begin. Once the new bridge is completed, it will resolve the traffic congestion in this area."