13 per cent work on the much-sought-after ring road project in Pune has been completed so far. The work on Ring Road’s longest tunnel, of around 5.87 km, is currently being paced up, and 1.5 km of work has been completed near the Sinhagad Fort in Pune.
After completion, the Pune Ring Road will facilitate connectivity to Ahilyanagar, Solapur and other areas, and will ease traffic on the current infrastructure. A 5.87 km tunnel is being built as an alternative to the current 35 km road between Khamgaon Maval and Kalyan. Once completed, the tunnel will reduce the travel time from around an hour to a few minutes.
The extended monsoon affected the project’s advancement, while it is expected to speed up in the coming few months
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) commenced work on the Pune Ring Road Project in February. The nine companies jointly started the work on the project at Hinjawadi, Urse, Chakan, Sortapwadi, Wadebolhai, Khadakwasla, Sinhagad, and Mulshi. And the agencies were given a target of completing the work in two and a half years.
To address the acute traffic congestion in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, the MSRDC has taken up a 172-kilometre-long and 110-meter-wide ring road project. The project has been divided into eastern and western parts, and the project will cost about Rs 42,000 crore. Accordingly, there are seven phases in the eastern part and five in the western part, and 97 per cent of the land has been acquired.
“Starting in February, 13 per cent work on the proposed ring road has been completed so far. At the initial level, priority has been given to levelling the hilly areas, constructing bridges over rivers and canals, and filling works. And we’re aiming to finish 70 per cent of the total work by the end of 2026,” said Rahul Vasaikar, Superintending Engineer, MSRDC
“If the concerned companies exceed the time allotted for project completion, they will have to pay fines and compensation as per the rules of the state government. As a result, the responsibility of completing the work on time lies with the companies,” Vasaikar added.
Acknowledging the development, MLA Mahesh Landge said, “The western section is now clearly visible in satellite imagery. Tunnelling work has begun in the hills near Sinhagad Fort. Out of the total 12 project packages, work is actively underway on nine of them. This progress is crucial for the future of the Pune metropolitan region and will boost traffic management, connectivity, and overall development.”
