Opening of University flyover’s Baner ramp likely to be delayed further

Pune: Opening of the Baner-side ramp of the integrated double-decker flyover at University Chowk is likely to be delayed further with Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) on Thursday saying the structure would be thrown open to public only after receiving a detailed safety and durability report from the concessionaire. Officials stressed that there was no urgency to commission the structure without completing all technical checks.The ramp was earlier scheduled for Jan 15 opening and later postponed to Jan 31 for additional caution following the recent Mumbai flyover slab collapse. PMRDA commissioner Yogesh Mhase told TOI that the authority would seek and verify the report before taking a final call on opening the ramp to the public. "We are in no hurry and will seek the detailed report from the concessionaire. Once the report is submitted, it will be verified by our team and only then we will open the ramp," he said.
The PMRDA officials said durability tests were currently under way for the ramp. "We had announced the opening date earlier, but the ramp will now be opened only after the required reports are submitted and scrutinised," Mhase said.One person died and three others were injured after a slab of thegirder bridgeof under-construction Metro rail line collapsed on a few vehicles in Mumbai's Mulund area on Feb 14. Against this backdrop, Shivajinagar MLA Siddharth Shirole wrote a letter to the PMRDA commissioner, seeking a comprehensive structural and on-site safety audit of the structure and the entire 23km Shivajinagar-Hinjewadi Metro route. "While opening the Baner ramp is essential, as it would help reduce the traffic logjam along the busy Ganeshkhind route, it should not be done without all the due checks and reports," Shirole said.He also sought the identification of accident-prone stretches or design vulnerabilities, verification of structural stability and compliance with approved engineering standards, and inspection of temporary construction arrangements, including scaffolding, barricading, overhead fixtures and material storage."The focus must be on identifying and immediately rectifying any unsafe construction practices, including loosely secured materials, exposed structural elements, improperly stored equipment or overhead components that pose a risk of falling and causing serious damage to vehicles or loss of life," Shirole said.He also said coordination with Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), traffic authorities and contractors should be strengthened to ensure construction debris, loose material and hazardous obstructions were cleared promptly, and that adequate safety signage and protective measures were in place.Shirole said development projects of this scale must reflect not only engineering excellence but also an uncompromising commitment to people's safety.