PUNE: Residents have alleged that a key bridge on the Indrayani River, connecting Charholi Khurd and Charholi Budruk, is being repaired at a snail’s pace with very little visible progress.The bridge was shut for traffic in Dec last year after a structural audit declared it unsafe to travel. The district administration had ordered audits of all bridges following the Maval bridge collapse in June 2025, which claimed four lives and left several others injured.After the bridge closed, people are forced to take a 4-5 km detour via Alandi. It is significantly increasing travel time amid frequent traffic congestion.Residents said the bridge has been a crucial link not only for Charholi, but also for 7 to 8 nearby villages connecting to Pimpri Chinchwad. “Schoolchildren and industrial workers have been among the worst affected. The longer detour increased both travel distance and time,” said Sagar Dabhade, a resident of Charholi.Vaibhav Tapkir, a resident of Wadmukhwadi, said he keep travelling to villages such as Markal and Dhanore for work and the bridge was the shortest route for him. “I also have relatives in these villages and travel there often. For over two months now, the route has been closed due to repair work, but there has been a very little progress. As a result, we have been forced to take a longer detour,” he said.Nitin Kalje, local corporator and former mayor, said he wrote to officials of the public works department (PWD) and urged them to expedite the repairs on priority. He claimed the closure has also been hampering the movement of emergency vehicles such as ambulances and fire tenders. “With traffic diverted via Alandi, the route frequently witnessed congestion and accidents,” he said.A PWD official said the repair work began last month and is likely to be completed by the second week of April. “The work was delayed as the design required approvals and some components had to be fabricated in Hyderabad. Our team is working round the clock and efforts are on to complete the project at the earliest,” the official said.
