Mumbai: Prioritising decongestion and expeditious completion of mega-infrastructure projects in Pune, the Maharashtra government has asked officials to complete the city’s High Capacity Mass Rapid Transit (HCMRT) projects by 2028.
Chairing a high-level meeting, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed officials to work on projects like the Pune Ring Road and an integrated tunnel network to further improve infrastructure and ease traffic conditions in Pune. These projects aren’t new to the state’s second-largest and fastest-growing city, but the latest urgency is a fresh development.
The elevated HCMRT is a transformative infrastructure project and, together with the tunnel projects, will play an important role in making Pune city more efficient, transport-friendly and economically viable, Fadnavis said. “Together, these landmark infrastructure projects will redefine urban mobility, reduce congestion and build a faster, seamlessly connected and future-ready Pune,” he said.
According to government officials, the HCMRT is a 43.6 km project that will help reduce traffic in Pune by 25 to 30 percent. The project will connect with metro lines and increase transport capacity. “We have been asked to complete this project by 2028,” an official from Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) told ThePrint.
Speaking to local reporters, Pune Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram said, “The PMC is finalising the administrative and technical aspects of the project. The land acquisition will be done quickly.” He also ordered PMC officials and metro officials to conduct joint surveys and hold joint meetings. Part of the Pune Development Plan and Mobility plan, the project’s nodal agencies will be the PMC and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA).
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What is HCMRT?
The plan was initially conceptualised in 2019 when traffic surveys and studies were conducted. The plan features a 36-km elevated six-lane road that will pass through Pune city, integrated with metro lines and other public transport. The total cost of this project is pegged at about Rs 9,000 crore.
The route will pass through over 30 major junctions in the city, including Bopadi, Airport Chowk, Senapati Bapat Road, Karve Road, Mundhwa, Vishrantwadi. The circular road will start at Bopadi and culminate at Vishrantwadi.
Fadnavis has asked officials to complete the land acquisition in the next six months. According to officials, about 85 per cent of the land required for the project is held by various government agencies, so only 15 per cent of the land remains to be acquired from private persons.
Apart from the HCMRT, the Inner Pune Ring Road and an integrated tunnel network will also be part of the larger project. The Inner Pune Ring Road, an 83-km network of road that passes through 44 villages, will be implemented by PMRDA in five phases.
Under the ‘Patal Lok’ initiative, an integrated tunnel network will be built at three places under the project. These are proposed to be from Bhosari to Undri-New airport, which will be 36 km and will include an elevated 10-km section, another from Ramnadi-Bhugaon to Rajaram Pool, which will be 8 km, and the third from Taljai Tekdi to Padmavati-Hingne, which will be a 1.65-km tunnel.
“I have directed officials to undertake a comprehensive survey with the support of expert institutions to ensure scientific planning and timely implementation,” Fadnavis told the media.
(Edited by Nardeep Singh Dahiya)
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