Pune: A 60-metre foot overbridge (FOB) connecting the upcoming Wakad Metro station with the opposite side of the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway has been installed, improving pedestrian access to the station and providing a safe crossing at the busy junction.The bridge, erected over two consecutive nights to minimise traffic disruption, will remain open for all pedestrians, including those not using Metro services, sources in Pune IT City Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (PITCMRL) told TOI.The FOB, unlike conventional station access bridges, has been designed as a public utility, allowing pedestrians to safely cross the national highway without entering the Metro station.“The facility is expected to significantly reduce pedestrian-vehicle conflict at Wakad Chowk, one of the city’s busiest intersections and a key transit point for commuters travelling between Pune and Mumbai,” an official said.The installation was carried out in coordination with the traffic police under a detailed traffic management plan.“Traffic on both the Mumbai- and Satara-bound carriageways was diverted to service roads during the late-night operation, while traffic police personnel and Quick Response Teams (QRTs) were deployed on-site to regulate vehicular movement. A 160-tonne crane was used to lift and position the bridge, while a 70-tonne crane was kept on standby as a safety measure,” a PITCMRL official said.Emphasising last-mile connectivity, a PMRDA official said, “The FOB directly connects the Wakad Metro station with the opposite side of the highway, improving access to what is expected to be one of the highest-ridership stations on the 23.3-km Hinjawadi-Civil Court Metro Line 3 corridor. Wakad Chowk is also a major boarding and drop-off point for PMPML buses, intercity buses, cabs and private vehicles.”With the Metro station nearing completion, the junction is being developed as a multimodal transport hub integrating Metro services with buses, feeder transport, private vehicles and pedestrian infrastructure, thereby strengthening last-mile connectivity for commuters.The development comes as Metro Line 3 has completed end-to-end trial runs across the entire corridor and is awaiting statutory approvals for phased commercial operations.The first phase, between Maan and RK Laxman Museum, is expected to open before the line is extended to Civil Court for integration with the existing Pune Metro network. Once fully operational, the corridor is expected to reduce travel time between Hinjewadi and Shivajinagar to around 45 minutes from the current 90 minutes.
