Pune: The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has sanctioned a ₹628 crore project to construct and upgrade a 50-kilometre road running parallel to the Hinjawadi–Shivajinagar Metro Line 3, officials announced on Friday.
The project will transform the existing four-lane road into a six-lane concrete carriageway and will include service roads, cycle tracks, footpaths, bus bays, parking lanes and ducts for utility lines. PMRDA officials said that a tender was floated on September 25 and that nearly 25 kilometres of roadway will run on each side of the elevated metro corridor.
According to PMRDA, the expenditure covers land acquisition, landscaping, electrification, shifting of utilities and construction of a central median. A consultant will be appointed to carry out detailed surveys, prepare designs, monitor progress and oversee post-construction work. The final cost is likely to be revised once the consultant submits its findings.
Authorities believe the parallel road will serve as a feeder to the metro. It will help in streamlining last-mile connectivity and handling utility corridors not addressed by the metro network. However, the plan has drawn criticism from civic activists and commuters. They argue that expanding roads could encourage more private vehicle use rather than reducing congestion.
Some residents have questioned the need for such an investment when the metro itself was introduced to ease traffic in the region. Hinjawadi and Baner areas in particular, which are covered by this metro line, face huge traffic congestion problems daily. With areas housing thousands of IT employees, the traffic woes are always present on weekdays.
But ignoring the residents' concerns, PMRDA has said land acquisition will begin where necessary. The project is expected to move forward once the consultant finalises the design and estimates.
