Pune VIDEO: Car Overturns On Rakshak Chowk Flyover Day After Opening | WATCH

Pimpri-Chinchwad: A car overturned on the newly opened Rakshak Chowk flyover on the Aundh-Ravet BRT route on Saturday afternoon, just a day after the bridge was inaugurated for public use. No injuries or casualties were reported in the incident. However, concerns have now been raised over the safety of the flyover, especially its steep slope.

According to officials and local sources, the accident took place after the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle while travelling down the steep stretch of the flyover. The car overturned on the road, causing panic among commuters. Fortunately, all occupants escaped safely.

MP Barne Slams PCMC

Following the incident, Member of Parliament Shrirang Barne of the Maval Lok Sabha Constituency blamed the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) administration for allegedly ignoring earlier warnings about technical flaws in the flyover design.

Barne said he had previously inspected the bridge and had raised concerns regarding the steep slope and overall safety measures. He claimed that he had warned the administration that accidents could occur if corrective steps were not taken.

“The administration ignored the technical flaws that were brought to its notice. The accident occurred on the very second day after the inauguration because of negligence. Thankfully, no lives were lost, but the administration should not play with citizens’ lives,” Barne said.

He further urged the civic body to immediately correct the slope and improve safety arrangements before a more serious accident takes place.

Barne also warned that if the issue remains unresolved, the city could witness accidents similar to those reported earlier at Pune’s Navale Bridge, which has frequently seen major mishaps due to road design and speeding concerns.

Rakshak Chowk Flyover…

The Rakshak Chowk flyover was recently completed by the Civil Department of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. Despite the completion of construction work, the bridge had remained closed for several days, leading to heavy daily traffic congestion on the route.

Local residents, traders and motorists had repeatedly demanded that the flyover be opened to ease traffic pressure on the busy Aundh-Ravet BRT corridor.

To speed up the process, MLA Shankar Jagtap had written to the Municipal Commissioner, requesting the administration to complete the required safety audit and technical inspection and open the bridge for traffic.

Following the request, the administration carried out the necessary formalities and opened the flyover on Friday.

Executive Engineer Sandhya Wagh said the flyover has helped make travel from Sangvi Phata to Ravet Mukai Chowk faster and signal-free. She added that it has also reduced congestion on the BRT road.

Officials further said that work on the subway being constructed through Defence Department land towards Pimple Nilakh is also progressing and will be opened for traffic soon.

Rumours On Social Media…

Meanwhile, rumours began circulating on social media claiming that local citizens had themselves opened the flyover after getting frustrated with delays by the administration.

However, PCMC Joint City Engineer Prerana Shinkar denied these claims and clarified that the bridge was officially opened by the municipal corporation itself.

Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Shinkar said the civic body had removed the barricading pipes blocking access to the flyover on Thursday night.

She explained that some finishing work, including road-related work beneath the flyover and tiling work on the structure, is still pending. However, instead of keeping the entire stretch closed and causing inconvenience to commuters, the administration decided to open the bridge for traffic.

“The rumours that the flyover was inaugurated by the public are false. We opened it ourselves,” she clarified.

Shinkar further added that a formal inauguration ceremony may or may not take place after the remaining work is completed. She said the final decision regarding any official inauguration would be taken by the municipal commissioner, the mayor and the general body.