MP Kolhe calls for immediate road safety measures following fatal accident

Pune: MP Amol Kolhe wrote a letter to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and PWD minister Shivendraraje Bhosale to implement safety measures on the Talegaon-Chakan-Shikrapur road and expedite the Talegaon-Shikrapur elevated corridor project dragging since last year, following Monday's fatal accident in which a farmer and his minor two sons lost their lives.Talegaon-Shikrapur is among the key road stretches in the district used by heavy vehicles as it connects the Mumbai and Ahmednagar highways. The road also witnessed an increase in local traffic in the last few years. The existing lanes are insufficient to handle the traffic, resulting in frequent congestion. The fatal accident occurred at Pimple Jagtap on the Talegaon-Chakan stretch of the road.Kolhe, in his letter, stated that a tendering process for the elevated corridor started in Dec 2023, but it is yet to be completed because of the delay from state and Central govts."The project was handed over to Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC), which compelled it to restart the tendering process from the beginning. This delay leads to accidents, and local citizens are unhappy about the delay. The state govt should expedite the proposal, and as part of immediate steps, the PWD should implement safety measures at vulnerable spots to ensure the safety of local travellers," the letter read.Kolhe, in the letter, also mentioned that he had already written to PWD minister Bhosale in the last week of Dec and explained the unsafe situation on the Talegaon-Shikrapur road. He also emphasised the need to expedite and begin the work on the elevated corridor.Kolhe said, "Besides the Talegaon to Shikrapur road, the govt should also start the execution of proposed elevated corridors on the Pune-Shirur stretch on the Ahmednagar highway and the Nashik Phata-Chandoli stretch on the Nashik highway."Pune: MP Amol Kolhe wrote a letter to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and PWD minister Shivendraraje Bhosale to implement safety measures on the Talegaon-Chakan-Shikrapur road and expedite the Talegaon-Shikrapur elevated corridor project dragging since last year, following Monday's fatal accident in which a farmer and his minor two sons lost their lives.Talegaon-Shikrapur is among the key road stretches in the district used by heavy vehicles as it connects the Mumbai and Ahmednagar highways. The road also witnessed an increase in local traffic in the last few years. The existing lanes are insufficient to handle the traffic, resulting in frequent congestion. The fatal accident occurred at Pimple Jagtap on the Talegaon-Chakan stretch of the road.Kolhe, in his letter, stated that a tendering process for the elevated corridor started in Dec 2023, but it is yet to be completed because of the delay from state and Central govts."The project was handed over to Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC), which compelled it to restart the tendering process from the beginning. This delay leads to accidents, and local citizens are unhappy about the delay. The state govt should expedite the proposal, and as part of immediate steps, the PWD should implement safety measures at vulnerable spots to ensure the safety of local travellers," the letter read.Kolhe, in the letter, also mentioned that he had already written to PWD minister Bhosale in the last week of Dec and explained the unsafe situation on the Talegaon-Shikrapur road. He also emphasised the need to expedite and begin the work on the elevated corridor.Kolhe said, "Besides the Talegaon to Shikrapur road, the govt should also start the execution of proposed elevated corridors on the Pune-Shirur stretch on the Ahmednagar highway and the Nashik Phata-Chandoli stretch on the Nashik highway."