Pune: Reopen Bhide Bridge From October 11, Citizens Appeal To Traffic Police

With Diwali shopping already picking up pace, the residents and activists have appealed to the Pune Traffic Police to reopen the Bhide Bridge for vehicles from October 11. They say the move will help ease the expected congestion in the city.

The residents wrote a letter to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) and reminded him that the bridge was closed for Metro work on April 21, initially for 45 days. The deadline was later extended till mid-June, and again till August 15. Despite these extensions, the work is still incomplete.

During the Ganesh festival, the bridge was temporarily reopened to manage the festive traffic, but was shut again on September 9 for another month.

Riverbed roads will be filled with firecracker stalls

Vivek Velankar, a civic activist, said, “Diwali is approaching, and shopping activity on Laxmi Road and nearby Peth areas has intensified. People are gearing up for festive purchases, and soon, the riverbed roads will be filled with firecracker stalls. This will only add to the traffic chaos,” he said.

Gautami Phandre, a resident, said, “The Bhide Bridge should be open soon. And we don’t understand why it is taking so much time to get the work completed. It is causing so much trouble for us to go to the Peth areas due to the closure.”

“Every evening, it takes us nearly 40 minutes to cross from Tilak Road to Laxmi Road. With Diwali shopping starting, it’s only going to get worse,” said Meenal Joshi, a resident of Sadashiv Peth.

'Customers avoid coming to our shops'

Local traders, too, are feeling the impact. “Customers avoid coming to our shops because of traffic jams and diversions. Reopening Bhide Bridge will make it easier for people to reach the market,” said Ramesh Shah, who runs a clothing store on Laxmi Road.

Citizens fear that once the firecracker stalls come up along the riverbed roads, the congestion will worsen. “There’s no space to move during evenings. Opening the bridge, even temporarily, will be a big relief,” said Priya Kale, a daily commuter.

“No further extension should be given to the Metro work and the bridge should be reopened from October 11, at least until the end of Diwali, as it will bring much-needed relief to commuters during the festival season,” Velankar added.