PMC approves consultant for DPR on 31 km of underground tunnels, including Bhosari-Undri link

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has approved the appointment of an expert consultant to prepare detailed project reports (DPRs) for two proposed underground tunnel corridors. Together the corridors will run 31 km. They are being planned as part of a larger regional transport network to reduce traffic congestion and improve movement in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.

The proposed network includes a 23 km underground corridor linking Bhosari in the north with Undri in the south. It also includes an eight km tunnel along DP Road between Bhugaon and Erandwane. Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram has approved the appointment of the consultant to prepare the DPRs for these corridors.

There is also a proposal to extend the Bhosari-Undri corridor via Bopdev Ghat to the proposed Purandar international airport. Mahametro is expected to work on this extension. It could give a direct underground route to the airport for those travelling from the northern parts of the Pune Metropolitan Region.

The underground tunnel initiative is popularly called the "Patal Lok" project. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis conceived it to tackle traffic congestion in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.

An underground tunnel between Yerawada and Katraj had been proposed earlier, but the plan was later found to be impractical. The PMC has also issued a separate tender to examine the feasibility of an underground corridor between Swargate and Shaniwar Wada.

The administration says that, for traffic management, infrastructure planning must take the whole region along rather than stay confined to the Pune city limits. Accordingly, the PMC, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) have begun planning the two proposed corridors in consultation with the traffic police.

In the initial assessment, the PMC and the traffic police looked at TomTom origin-destination data, Google traffic information, real-time traffic data, figures from the Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) and existing movement patterns. Congestion on major roads, gaps in road connectivity and the availability of alternative routes were also considered in fixing the proposed routes.

According to the PMC's initial report, the proposed tunnel routes have been aligned with the High Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTR), the Inner Ring Road and the Outer Ring Road. The aim is an integrated transport network in which underground road corridors complement existing and proposed metro services and major road projects.

The 23 km Bhosari-Undri corridor is expected to strengthen north-south connectivity between Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Its proposed extension via Bopdev Ghat could provide a direct route towards the Purandar airport. The two proposed corridors together will form a 31 km underground road network, provided the DPR findings and further approvals are favourable.