Traffic goes haywire in Pune after closure of Bhide Bridge; users face tough time

Pune: Regular commuters demanded deployment of more wardens at the key junctions and crossings in Deccan Gymkhana and Narayan Peth to manage traffic flow following the closure of Baba Bhide Bridge on Tuesday morning, which resulted in large-scale diversions. During evening rush hours, motorists faced snarls on JM Road, at the entrance to Z-Bridge, and stretches of Kelkar Road and Laxmi Road.
The bridge will remain shut for vehicles and pedestrians until June 6 to assist the Maha Metro in building a foot-over bridge (FoB) over the Mutha river. The FoB will connect Deccan Gymkhana metro station to the other side of the river, providing a direct access to users from the Peth areas to the station. Metro officials said they are extending necessary support to traffic police to regulate the vehicular movement.
Vikas Gosavi, who was caught in traffic while passing through Deccan Gymkhana in the evening, said, "Long queues of vehicles were witnessed on JM Road. There was no one to manage the traffic at the entrance to Z-Bridge at the Deccan Gymkhana end. A stretch of Kelkar Road and Laxmi Road also saw chaos. It will be a daily challenge for authorities."
The closure has re-routed traffic via smaller lanes near Z-Bridge, via Lakdi Bridge and Kelkar Road. Traffic police personnel said they will first monitor the arrangement for the next few days before coming up with necessary improvements to tackle bottlenecks.
Residents from the Pulachi Wadi area at Deccan Gymkhana said traffic police should act against wrong-way driving and illegal stalls that are obstructing the vehicular movement.