28 July,2011 07:58 AM IST | | A Correspondent
Work almost complete, civic body to throw open underpass at Chandan Nagar on Nagar Road in 15 days
If the civic body keeps its promise, after 15 days, residents and pedestrians scuttling along the Ahmadnagar Road need not get jittery every time they have to cross the street. Two weeks from now, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) plans to throw open the subway it has been constructing at this purported fatal junction.
Opening soon: The PMC is completing minor work on the subway at
the Chandan Nagar chowk, which will be thrown open to the public in
another 15 days. pic/krunal Gosavi
Under the centrally-funded Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), the PMC started the construction of subways on the Ahmadnagar Road in the latter half of 2010. The subways have been built on Wakefield Chowk, Viman Nagar Chowk and Chandan Nagar Chowk at a total cost of Rs 6.61 crores.
Long attached to the moniker 'killer road', the subway at Chandan Nagar Chowk is a welcome addition for residents and motorists plying on the road. About 20 people have lost their lives while crossing the road and riding bikes. Another PMC official said the only thing remaining for the Chandan Nagar subway was the tiling and finishing touches. "This will take about 15 days," he said.
Project delayed
All the subway projects on Ahmadnagar Road were bogged down by inordinate delays in their execution and planning. The inauguration of subways at Viman Nagar were delayed by three to four months, though they were completed in time.
A PMC official said this occurred because of coordination issues with the traffic police and getting their permission before carrying out the construction on the road. "Underground water pipelines were hampering the project, as shifting them to another site in co-ordination with the water supply department took time," said the official.
"The pipeline issue was more acute for the Viman Nagar subway, since a major water conduit was passing below one of the subways. We also had to ensure the water supply was not impeded while carrying out the shifting work. This had a cascading effect on the overall project."
It was also believed that the project was delayed because the PMC wanted a formal inauguration. Vinay Deshpande Officer on Special Duty had at that time denied any such reports. "We can't afford to wait for a political inauguration and will throw open the project the moment it is completed," Deshpande said.
The Viman Nagar subway was recently thrown open to the public a few days ago and was inaugurated by Mayor Mohansingh Rajpal. Deshpande could not be reached for comments on Chandan Nagar subway despite repeated attempts.
