Pune: The demolition of the Sadhu Vaswani Bridge near Pune Station is progressing, with 20 per cent of the work completed.

Pune Municipal Commissioner Dr. Rajendra Bhosale announced that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has received the necessary permissions from the Railways and Traffic Police to continue the project.

The Sadhu Vaswani Bridge, built more than 50 years ago, had become a safety hazard for vehicles. Due to the structural risks, the PMC decided to demolish the old bridge and replace it with a new flyover.

The project was initially approved in May 2023, but delays occurred due to the pending approvals from traffic authorities and the railway department. It took nearly a year to secure these clearances, which were finally granted in May 2024.

Demolition work began in June 2024 on the Koregaon Park side, and the old bridge on that side has already been demolished. The PMC has started excavation and foundation work for the new bridge. So far, about 20% of the total work has been completed.

The next phase of the project involves demolishing the bridge on the Pune Cantonment side, for which the PMC needs a block of time from the railway department.

Funds have already been deposited by the PMC, and the work must be completed within a 52-day timeframe, under the supervision of the railway authorities.

Dr. Bhosale clarified that the traffic department has granted the necessary approvals, and once the railway schedule is confirmed, the pace of the work will increase.

However, the entire project is expected to take another year and a half, with completion projected for January 2026. After the construction of the new bridge, it will be opened to the public for vehicular traffic.