Why Was Pune University Flyover’s Baner Arm Not Opened On February 17? Details Inside

The Baner arm of the flyover at Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) on Ganeshkhind Road was scheduled to be opened to the public on February 17. However, the opening was postponed as the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) is yet to obtain a safety certificate from the construction company.

PMRDA chief Yogesh Mhase said, “The work of the flyover on Ganeshkhind Road towards Baner is almost complete, but we want safety certification from the construction company before opening it to the public.”

Mhase said this was being done against the backdrop of an accident in Mumbai in which one person was killed and two others sustained injuries when the concrete parapet wall segment of Metro Line 4 fell onto an auto-rickshaw.

The PMRDA chief further said that he was not sure when the construction company would give the safety certificate, pushing the opening of the Baner arm of the flyover further.

Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Siddharth Shirole had demanded a structural audit of the flyover before its opening.

In his letter to Mhase, Shirole highlighted specific hazards reported by Pune commuters. These include loosely secured construction materials, exposed structural elements, and improperly stored overhead equipment. He urged the PMRDA to identify and rectify any vulnerabilities that could lead to falling objects or vehicular damage.

Beyond structural integrity, the Shivajinagar MLA also directed the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and local contractors to immediately clear hazardous debris, unused materials, and barricading gaps that currently obstruct arterial roads around the University Chowk corridor.