Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is planning to make annual inspections of all bridges and flyovers a regular exercise after a structural audit found that 98 structures required repairs in the city. The civic body has so far completed repair work on 21 bridges and flyovers.
The remaining structures will be repaired in phases, depending on the availability of funds. The move is aimed at ensuring that bridge maintenance does not remain limited to one-time repairs. Regular inspections will help the PMC identify problems early and take corrective action before they worsen.
98 bridges and flyovers flagged for repairs
A structural audit carried out last year by expert consultants found that 98 bridges and flyovers required repairs. Of these, five bridges are under the responsibility of contractors as they are still covered by the Defect Liability Period (DLP). The PMC's Special Projects Department took up the remaining 93 structures for repair and prioritised them based on their condition.
Category A bridges were given the highest priority. The repair programme was then divided into three phases. In the first phase, 11 bridges were identified. Repair work on 10 of them has been completed.
The second phase covered 17 bridges, of which 11 have been repaired so far. The repairs on the 21 completed structures included replacement of bearings, changing of expansion joints and structural strengthening. These works are aimed at improving the structural condition and safety of the bridges.
₹35 crore earmarked for first two phases
The first phase of the repair programme cost around ₹10 crore, while the second phase has an estimated cost of ₹17 crore. For the third phase, the PMC has approved ₹8 crore in the budget. This amount is expected to cover repairs to around 14 to 15 bridges.
The civic body has said that the remaining repair work will be taken up according to the availability of funds. PMC Projects Department head Dinkar Gojare said the civic body plans to inspect every bridge annually.
The regular inspections are expected to help the PMC keep track of the condition of the structures and identify repair requirements at an early stage. The plan also marks a shift towards regular bridge maintenance instead of waiting for major structural issues to emerge before taking action.
With 98 bridges and flyovers flagged in the structural audit, the PMC's challenge now is to complete the pending repairs while ensuring that the repaired structures continue to be monitored regularly.
