Pimpri Dairy Farm rail flyover opened, Level Crossing Gate 60 to be shut

The railway flyover at Pimpri Dairy Farm in Pimpri Chinchwad was opened to the public on Thursday, November 5. Deputy Chief Minister and Pune Guardian Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar inaugurated it. The Rs 65.28 crore bridge has been built in place of Gate No. 60 on the Mumbai-Pune railway line, which will now be closed.

At the same event, Pawar also performed the bhoomipujan of the new building of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation's "L" ward office.

Until now, vehicles had to wait whenever the gate was closed for an approaching train. With the flyover open, people heading towards Pimpri village on the Dapodi-Nigdi road will be able to move ahead without stopping. Officials say daily commuters will save time, effort and fuel.

Mayor Ravi Landge presided over the function. MLA Uma Khapre, MLA Amit Gorkhe, Deputy Mayor Sharmila Babar and former mayor Yogesh Behl were present. Municipal Commissioner Dr Vijay Suryavanshi, corporators Sandeep Waghere and Dabbu Asawani, and other dignitaries were also there.

The new "L" ward office building will be an important link between citizens and the municipal administration. People in the area go to this office for civic services, to register complaints and for administrative work. The corporation says these tasks will become easier for citizens once the building is equipped with more facilities.

Commissioner Suryavanshi said the flyover was designed not only for today's traffic but also with the city's future needs in mind. He said: "While planning a city's traffic system, it is necessary to build infrastructure keeping in view not only present needs but also future congestion and the expansion of the city. The railway flyover at Pimpri Dairy Farm is an important project built with this approach."

He also said the design includes approach roads and service roads, and provides for both motorists and pedestrians.

The flyover had been sanctioned at Rs 65.28 crore. The work order was issued on March 31, 2023, and the work was to be completed by March 31, 2025. That deadline was not met. The corporation extended the deadline three times, and the last revised date was July 31, 2026. By October this year the work was nearly complete and the bridge was only awaiting a formal inauguration.

The wait ended on Thursday, November 5. The inauguration had been announced for 4 pm but actually began at about 5.30 pm. The bridge opened about 19 months after the first deadline and roughly three months after the last revised one.