Inauguration of the delayed Keshavnagar-Kharadi flyover on Sunday

Pune: Delayed for long, the Keshavnagar-Kharadi flyover will be opened to commuters at 4pm on Sunday.Locals and commuters have been demanding that the authorities open the facility for them at the earliest. The project aims to ease traffic congestion in rapidly developing Keshavnagar-Kharadi as well as nearby areas, said PMC officials on Friday.The project was first announced around nine years ago, but issues pertaining to land acquisition and other technical aspects created hurdles in completing the project speedily, said locals. The length of the flyover is approximately 411.40 metres and its width is 24 metres. There are a total of seven spans on the bridge, with each span having a length of 35.2 metres. The length of the approach road on the Kharadi side is 40 metres, while the length of the approach road on the Keshavnagar side is 125 metres. Two-way traffic will operate on this flyover, which costs around Rs23 crore.As per PMC officials, this flyover will eliminate an additional journey of approximately 6km for vehicles travelling from Keshavnagar to Kharadi and will help reduce traffic congestion on the bypass road. Furthermore, it will contribute to reducing travel time, fuel consumption and air and noise pollution, saving citizens about half an hour of their time.Avnish Tiwari, a resident of Keshavnagar, said, “We have had an extremely difficult time navigating traffic between Keshavnagar, Mundhwa and Kharadi every day. The bridge was a ray of hope when it was commissioned a few years ago, but despite being completed, it remained unopened. After nine years since it was sanctioned, the bridge will finally be opened to traffic. We hope it eases our daily commute and helps us save valuable time.”