Pune: After years of delays, protests and traffic problems, the much-awaited Keshavnagar–Kharadi bridge in Pune is finally nearing completion, raising hopes of major relief for residents of Keshavnagar, Manjari, Mundhwa and nearby areas.
The bridge project has been under discussion since around 2015, when rapid residential development began in the locality. Developers had promoted the bridge as a major connectivity project linking Keshavnagar, Kharadi and Amanora. Plans for a railway underpass between Amanora and Keshavnagar, along with wider Development Plan roads, were also announced during the same period.
Most of the bridge structure is now complete, and direction signboards have already been installed. However, confusion and frustration continue among residents as authorities have repeatedly barricaded and restricted access to the route.
A recent video from the spot showed local residents removing large concrete barricades placed near the bridge so commuters could use the road. Residents claimed people have become frustrated due to the repeated closure of the route despite the project nearing completion.
Members of the Mundhwa Residents Forum alleged that there is no clear communication from authorities regarding whether the bridge is officially operational or still under restricted access. Citizens described the situation as an administrative failure and demanded clarity from civic officials.
The bridge is considered crucial because Kharadi lies barely 200 metres away across the river from several Keshavnagar housing societies, while Amanora is also located nearby. Despite the short distance, commuters had to travel through long and heavily congested roads for several years because of poor connectivity.
Over the past decade, the Keshavnagar–Manjari belt has witnessed rapid urban growth with several townships, housing complexes, schools and commercial projects coming up in the area. Residents said infrastructure development failed to keep pace with the growing population.
Several citizen groups and housing societies had staged protests over the past two years demanding faster completion of the bridge and related road projects. Awareness campaigns, banners and symbolic demonstrations were organised to highlight the daily traffic problems faced by residents.
Till now, commuters travelling between Keshavnagar and Kharadi mainly depended on the Chanchala Kodre bridge, leading to severe traffic congestion at Mundhwa Chowk and Mahatma Phule Chowk. Many residents also used a narrow check-dam road near the garbage depot and Kalyani R&D area to avoid traffic jams despite safety concerns during the monsoon.
Residents pointed out that even after the bridge becomes operational, the area still requires better internal roads and traffic planning. The stretch between Tukai Mata Mandir and Renuka Mata Mandir continues to remain a major bottleneck during office and school rush hours.
Citizens have also demanded improved public transport, feeder bus services to Metro stations, better traffic management, road widening, removal of encroachments and completion of the pending Amanora–Keshavnagar railway underpass project.
Residents now hope the remaining infrastructure work will be completed in a planned manner to prevent future congestion and urban planning issues in the rapidly growing area.
