Pune: The Mutha right bank canal road connecting the area near Empress Botanical Garden to BT Kawade Road is shut for work, compelling two-wheeler riders and other smaller vehicles to take a detour through the interior roads in Sopanbaug or join Pune-Solapur Highway traffic, adding to the congestion near St Patrick’s Cathedral circle near Bhairoba Nala police chowkey.For many housing societies located near the canal road, it is the only entry and exit to and from Prince of Wales Drive at one end and BT Kawade Road on the other. Residents of societies along the road are forced to rely on private interior roads of neighbouring societies to commute.Sunita Kale, a resident of one such society, said, “This is the only road connecting our society to the main road. We are now dependent on other societies to allow us to use their roads so that we can enter or exit the main road.”Kiran Kalshetti, deputy engineer of Pune Municipal Corporation’s roads department, said, “We received a letter from the irrigation department that a portion of the road has collapsed on this particular stretch. As the road is under 12m, we have forwarded the request for its repair to the ward office which has taken action.”Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Sandip Bhajibhakare said the road was shut by PMC as it was crumbling and repair work is expected to start soon. “Vehicles, especially two-wheelers frequenting that road to escape traffic signals at Fatimanagar and Wanowrie junctions, have been forced to either take Solapur highway or a longer detour through the interior roads of Sopanbaug adding to congestion.”Vishal Chopade, a two-wheeler rider who frequents the road to reach Ramtekdi area from Camp, said, ”The canal road helps two-wheeler riders avoid heavy traffic on highway, especially during peak hours, and escape two major signals as well. But now we have to take a longer route.”
