The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, will lay the cornerstone for two bridges on January 28: one connecting Kolhapur's city gate to a flyover and the other spanning the Panchaganga River. On January 27 in the evening, the minister will show up and go to the Mahalaxmi temple as scheduled. The following day, he will travel to Hubbali in Karnataka before coming back to Kolhapur to see Narsinhawadi.
In the evening, he will lay the cornerstone for the basket bridge that would connect Bengaluru and Pune over the Panchaganga river. The bridge will be raised considerably higher to function as a fly-over bridge, connecting the NH-48 to the city's entrance at Shahu Market Yard.
A former member of the Lok Sabha named Dhananjay Mahadik stated, "The bridge and the FOB would ease traffic congestion at the city's entry. Additionally, it will contribute to maintaining traffic movement throughout the flood. The basket bridge will improve the city's appearance. I pursued the proposal once more after being elected as a Rajya Sabha MP, and the minister has approved funding for me to do so.
The six-lane of National Highway 48's Kagal-Satara segment between Pune and Bengaluru includes both bridges. After laying the groundwork for the FOB and basket bridge, Gadkari will visit the agriculture festival that Mahadik is hosting before leaving for Delhi.
