Pune: Ahead of the launch of three major road infrastructure projects in Pune, legislators have urged the Maharashtra government to integrate the new corridors with the city’s Metro network, saying the projects will not significantly reduce traffic congestion if they end only at the city’s outskirts.
The demand was raised during a review meeting chaired by Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Shivendrasinhraje Bhosale on Wednesday. The meeting was held to review preparations for the three projects, whose foundation stones will be laid on July 18 by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.
The projects include the Pune-Shirur Expressway, the Hadapsar-Yavat Elevated Road and the Talegaon-Chakan-Shikrapur Elevated Highway. The groundbreaking ceremony will be held at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch at 1.30 pm.
During the meeting, MLA Chetan Tupe and NCP city president Sunil Tingre said the new roads should be directly connected to Pune Metro routes instead of ending at Manjari and Wagholi. They said extending the projects into the city and integrating them with Metro stations would provide better connectivity and help reduce traffic congestion.
Minister Bhosale said the projects have been planned to address the increasing traffic burden in Pune and would be completed within four years. He said the Hadapsar-Yavat Elevated Road would be executed in coordination with the Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC) and the Metro administration. He also announced that a separate meeting would be held with the Pune Municipal Corporation and the traffic police to finalise traffic management plans during construction.
Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharne said the suggestions made by local public representatives would be considered while implementing the projects.
MP Supriya Sule, who attended the meeting through video conferencing, urged the government to prioritise roadwork on the Palkhi Marg. MP Amol Kolhe stressed the need for a comprehensive traffic management plan for the Pune-Shirur corridor.
The meeting was attended by several MLAs, District Collector Jitendra Dudi, Mayor Manjusha Nagpure, senior government officials and representatives of the Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation, which presented the project details during the review.
