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Fadanavis inaugurates city’s longest flyover, first cable-stayed bridge on Mutha river

The work on the Rs 118 crore Sinhagad Road flyover, approximately 2.5 km long, commenced in 2021 and was scheduled for completion by 2024.

Preparations at Sinhagad road flyover for inauguration. (Express Photo by Arul Horizon)

Facing criticism for delaying inauguration of infrastructure projects, Chief Minister Devendra Fadanavis on Monday inaugurated Pune city’s longest flyover on Sinhagad Road and the first cable-stayed pedestrian bridge across Mutha river.

Earlier last week, the MNS, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP(SP) staged protest over the delay in opening the flyover for the public despite completion of work, alleging that the BJP was delaying the inauguration due to unavailability of the Chief Minister.

Constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 118 crore, the flyover is approximately 2.5km and includes a chain of bridges—a 520 metre long one way flyover bridge from Vithalwadi to Veer Baji Pasalkar Udyan jumping the main junction of the Rajaram bridge inaugurated last year; a 2.1km long one-way flyover bridge from Vithalwadi to Funtime Cinema jumping six junctions that was inaugurated a few months ago and another arm of a 1.5 km long flyover bridge from Goel Ganga chowk to Hingane at Inamdar Chowk jumping four junctions.

Due to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s unavailability, two arms of the project were inaugurated by Deputy Chief minister Ajit Pawar. The last leg of the flyover was completed recently and BJP MLA Madhuri Misal insisted that it should be inaugurated by the Chief Minister only. Thus, the decision to inaugurate it was taken on Sunday as Fadnavis was to visit the farmhouse of actor Nana Patekar near Sinhagad Fort for Ganesh darshan on Sinhagad Road.

Fadanavis on his way to the city via Sinhagad road, when he stopped by to inaugurate Pune’s longest flyover. Fadnavis said the flyover on Sinhagad road will ease traffic, reduce air pollution and provide relief from traffic jams.

The Chief Minister then rushed to inaugurate the first cable-stayed bridge across Mutha river and also the country’s first cable-stayed bridge having a pillar aligned at 70 degrees.

The pedestrian bridge connects the Sambhaji Park metro station to central part of city at Shaniwar Peth and enables connectivity for those commuting to and fro from Narayan Peth and Sadashiv Peth. It also enables pedestrians to cross the river between the central part of the city and Shivajinagar.

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The tanpura-shaped pedestrian bridge is 179.791 metre long and eight metres wide. It has a 72.269 metre tall concrete pillar of 70 degrees.

“The footbridge on Mutha river is beautiful and is in the central part of the city. It will enable seamless connectivity for Metro travellers. It is an iconic structure that will benefit pedestrians,” he said.

A major road

The Sinhagad Road is the only connecting road for residents in the jurisdiction of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) — from Khadakwasla, Dhayari, Nanded, Vadgaon Budruk, Hingne, Narhe, Ambegaon Budruk and Anandnagar — to the central part of the city.

This road also leads to tourist destinations, including Panshet, Varasgaon, Khadakwasla dams, and Sinhagad Fort. The road is also the only connecting point to national institutes, such as the Central Water Power Research Station, National Water Academy, Defence Institute of Armament Technology, and MILIT.

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Moreover, the Sinhagad Road provides access to the Bengaluru-Mumbai bypass and is the preferred route for vehicles taking to the highway, due to the newly built Katraj tunnel. Commuters travelling from Bengaluru to Pune prefer to take the Sinhagad Road after exiting the tunnel, and vehicles travelling in the opposite direction also take the Sinhagad Road.

“Over 1.5 lakh vehicles use the only road that connects the area to the city. It is the only road because there is the Mutha River on one side, and hills on the other side. It is due to this reason flyover was constructed to ease the traffic flow,” said a PMC officer.

Ajay Jadhav

Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, Pune. With over 22 years of experience in the industry, he is a highly specialized journalist whose work focuses on the intersection of urban infrastructure, governance, and sustainability. Professional Background Role: As Assistant Editor, he plays a key role in the editorial direction of the Pune bureau, specializing in urban policy and its direct impact on citizens. Education: He holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a PG Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He also studied at the prestigious Fergusson College. Impactful Reporting: He is credited with research-based articles on conservancy staff (waste workers) that influenced national policy for better working conditions. He is also known for exposing the contrast between high-end infrastructure (like helipads for leaders) and the lack of basic amenities like schools in their home districts. Personal Interests: An avid trekker and sports enthusiast, his personal interest in the outdoors often informs his reporting on environmental protection and sustainable development. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) His reporting in late 2025 has been dominated by the upcoming January 2026 Civic Polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the city's infrastructure boom: 1. Political Analysis (Civic Elections 2026) "Not friendly but a bitter fight lies ahead between BJP and NCP for PMC, PCMC" (Dec 22, 2025): A detailed look at the intense rivalry between the Mahayuti partners as they prepare for the January 15 municipal elections. "Pune civic polls: Big blow to NCP, NCP(SP) as leaders switch to BJP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on high-profile poaching and party-hopping ahead of the elections. "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): Analyzing the results of the local self-government body elections as a precursor to the main civic polls. 2. Infrastructure & Urban Development "Looking Ahead at 2026: Pune to see inauguration of much-awaited Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar metro route" (Dec 22, 2025): An "outlook" piece on the critical Metro Line 3 project expected to finish by March 2026. "Building Pune: PMC to construct double-decker bridge over Mula-Mutha River" (Dec 18, 2025): Detailing a major project aimed at easing traffic between Hadapsar and Kharadi. "Condition of highway from Pune to Kolhapur to improve in a year: Gadkari" (Dec 4, 2025): Reporting on the Union Minister’s assurances regarding one of the state's most critical transport corridors. 3. Civic Governance & Environment "Install sensors, LED indicators at construction sites within 15 days: PMC to builders" (Dec 16, 2025): A follow-up to the "Breathless Pune" series, reporting on new mandates for builders to monitor air quality in real-time. "Errors in electoral rolls: PMC corrects data of 92,466 voters" (Dec 16, 2025): Tracking the administrative efforts to clean up the voter lists before the 2026 elections. Signature Style Ajay Jadhav is known for accountability journalism. His work often bridges the gap between high-level policy and the "ground zero" reality of Pune's residents. He is particularly focused on Sustainable Development, ensuring that as Pune grows into a "Bharat Mandapam" style destination (referring to his report on the Lohegaon project), its environmental and social safeguards remain intact. X (Twitter): @ajay_khape ... Read More

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