Metro gets in-principal approval from Centre

"Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath has given his initial approval and we are working towards implementing the project at the earliest," he said.u00a0The new Bundgarden bridge has been built parallel to the Fitzgerald Bridge.u00a0The new bridge has been christened the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Setu.u00a0

"We are also working out the financial model (of the metro project) with the various agencies involved. Financial engineering is a crucial part of the project and requires careful planning and deliberation", Chavan said.u00a0The CM also talked about increasing number of low cost houses in the city and promised faster implementation of the Basic Services for the Urban Poor (BSUP) programme.u00a0

State Forests Minister Patangrao Kadam, Mayor Mohansingh Rajpal, Corporators Arvind Shinde, Aba Bagul, Abhay Chajjed, Avinash Salvi and Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) Commissioner Mahesh Pathak were also present at the event.u00a0Commenting on the bridge, Chavan said it was a major achievement in strengthening the city's infrastructure.u00a0"People of Pune have now got a major bridge that will go a long way in solving the traffic problem in this part of the city", he added.u00a0

The 400-metre-long andu00a021-metre-wide bridge will come as a relief for motorists headed for Nagar Roadu00a0

and Vimanagar as the Fitzgerald bridge was unable to handle the heavy traffic flow leading to jams at the MG Junction.u00a0The construction of theu00a0Rs 32-crore bridge started in 2008 and got completed in three-and-half years.