PMC proposes two underground roads totalling 31 km to ease Pune traffic jams

To reduce the growing traffic congestion in Pune city, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has put forward a preliminary proposal for two ambitious underground routes. Under the 'Patal Lok' project conceived by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, two underground roads with a combined length of 31 km are being considered. The routes are expected to give traffic in the north-south and western parts of Pune an alternative path.

According to the proposal, the first underground route is planned between Bhosari and Undri. About 23 km long, it could connect Bhosari, Sangamwadi, Dhobi Ghat, Pune Cantonment, Kondhwa and Undri. Motorists travelling from the northern to the southern part of the city could get an alternative to the city's crowded roads. It is also said that the route could later serve traffic heading towards the Purandar airport.

The second underground route is proposed from Bhugaon to Erandwane. About 8 km long, it is planned to connect Ram Nadi, Dukkar Khind and D.P. Road. The route could be important for easing the growing vehicle congestion in western Pune and the pressure of traffic on the main roads.

The Municipal Commissioner has approved the proposal to appoint expert consultants to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for both routes. In fixing the proposed alignments, Google traffic data, traffic police figures, people's travel patterns and other aspects of the city's traffic will be studied.

Other major traffic projects in the city are also being kept in mind while planning the routes. The possibility of connecting the proposed routes with the Metro, the Inner Ring Road, the Outer Ring Road and the High Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTR) will be examined. This is meant to coordinate the city's different traffic systems.

For now, the proposal for the two underground routes is at an early stage. Once the detailed project report is ready, technical feasibility, project cost, availability of funds and environmental issues will be examined. Permissions from various government departments will also be required. A final decision on actual construction will be taken only after all these processes are complete. The final direction of the project will become clear only after detailed study and approval.