The road construction work began around 11pm on Tuesday and was completed at about 11am on Wednesday

PIMPRI CHINCHWAD: A 150-metre-long road, linking Dighi with Bhosari in Pimpri Chinchwad, was hanging fire for over 25 years due to opposition from landowners until the civic body completed a major portion of it on Wednesday morning in a 12-hour span after the affected families agreed to the compensation package.

Officials said that the road construction work began around 11pm on Tuesday and was completed about 11am on Wednesday. However, work on the 120-metre stretch of the road could only be completed as some farmers were yet to handover the land for the remaining portion comprising 30 metres.

The road will be widened further as per the development plan (DP), once the remaining landowners along the side margins agreed to the compensation package, officials said.

"The civic body could not construct road on the 150-metre-long stretch of DP Road in Sawantnagar for the past 25 years as 30 to 35 landowners were not ready to give their land for road construction. On Tuesday, a majority of the land owners agreed to hand over their land. As a result, we have been able to get land for 120-metre stretch. We have tarred the 9-metre-wide contiguous portion of the road to enable vehicles cross the stretch quickly," an official said.

Dighi village, located along Pune-Alandi Road, was merged within PCMC limits in 1997. Residents of Dighi have to travel through Bhosari to reach Pune-Nashik highway. But some of the roads that link Bhosari have not been properly developed due to land acquisition problems.

BJP corporator Sagar Gawli said, “Bhosari MLA Mahesh Landge took the lead to hold discussion with the affected landowners and find a solution to the pending problem. Majority of the landowners agreed to give their land on Tuesday after which the road construction began and tarring was also completed on the nine-metre road. ”

Gawli said residents of Bhosari will be able to use the road to reach Pune-Alandi Road and travel to Vishrantwadi , Pune airport , Dhanori and other areas of the city.

Another BJP corporator, Vikas Dolas, said, “Residents living near the untarred road were facing respiratory ailments due to the dust blown up by vehicles passing through the open land during summer. Minor accidents occurred when two-wheelers skidded due to the slush in monsoon . Now, people will not have to face these problems as the road has been constructed and tarred.”

