Mumbai, June 29 -- One side of the three point five km six-lane flyover on the Pune-Bengaluru highway at Karad has been opened for a controlled trial run of light vehicles. Vehicles travelling from Satara towards Kolhapur were permitted on the elevated corridor during the trial, which is designed to assess safety standards and structural resilience. The trial was inaugurated in the presence of the Public Works Department Minister Shivendraraje Bhosale, MP Udayanraje Bhosale and local members of the legislative assembly.
The National Highways Authority of India said the opposite carriageway from Kolhapur to Satara is expected to open in the coming days and that, after rectifying minor defects and completing pending works, the entire nearly five km stretch including the elevated section is scheduled to be fully operational by July one. A speed limit of 40 kmph has been imposed for the trial, which will operate only during daytime hours and will close at six pm. Early commuters reported smoother travel but noted unfinished railings and dividers and raised concerns about drainage and potential waterlogging during the monsoon.
NHAI officials said the trial run is necessary before full commissioning and that the opened carriageway will operate for eight days during daytime while minor works continue. The structure forms part of the Satara-Kagal six-laning project under the Bharatmala Pariyojana and has been built at a cost of around Rs five billion (bn), replacing an earlier four-lane bridge that was demolished in the initial phase. The agency said travel time will be reduced and movement will be uninterrupted once the full stretch is opened to general traffic.
During construction commuters endured severe congestion with travel delays of up to two hours owing to diversions and narrow carriageways. The elevated corridor, constructed using precast segments supported by 92 pillars, is expected to reduce travel time and eliminate chronic choke points. Authorities will continue to monitor safety and complete remaining works during the trial.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.