40-day closure of Swargate underpass to aid waterproofing, concreting work

Pune: The Swargate underpass will be closed to traffic for 40 days after Diwali to facilitate waterproofing and concreting work.

The work would be undertaken and funded by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).

This is a welcome move for regular commuters — especially two-wheeler riders — as there have been regular complaints about the stretch which is constantly pockmarked and slippery from constant water leakage.

MSRDC’s Abasaheb Nagargoje said the work would begin after Diwali. “We are narrowing down on the best technology to waterproof the stretch,” Nagargoje said, terming the water leakage as the prime reason for the poor road conditions. “We had carried out waterproofing earlier too, but that did not solve the problem. Now, we are looking for a better technology and then plan to lay a concrete road to ensure potholes do not pop up again,” he said.

Pune Municipal Corporation said MSRDC would carry out the repairs and also foot the bill as the underpass was still under the defect liability period. “We held many meetings with MSRDC officials to figure out a permanent solution to the problems. It should take around 40 days to complete all the work,” a PMC official said.

Prashant Kanojia, who founded a citizens’ group called Help Riders, said the potholes and the slippery surface caused many an accident. “This repair work is necessary, but I feel they also need arrest the water seepage by installing proper drainage lines and stormwater lines. Once the leakage is plugged, the roads will be fine. I don’t see the need to waste money on concreting,” Kanojia said, predicting increased traffic chaos in Swargate, already beset by congestion.

Suraj Rajguru, assistant police inspector of the Swargate traffic division, said they have yet to receive a traffic diversion proposal from MSRTC in this regard. “We will decide on traffic diversions once we meet the site engineer and understand the scope of work,” Rajguru said.

He further said it was high time these problems were tackled head-on. “We had sent multiple letters to MSRDC to repair this perennially pothole-riddled stretch. They have finally decided to find a permanent solution, and we are sure the commuters would benefit from it,” Rajguru said.