Ganesh immersion procession: Pune to shut 17 roads on September 25
Pune police will close 17 major roads and impose parking curbs from midnight for the Ganesh idol immersion procession
Ahead of Pune's famous Ganesh immersion procession, the city police have made major traffic changes. Around 17 major roads in the central part of the city will be completely closed to traffic on September 25. The traffic closure will begin at midnight on September 24 and remain in force until the main immersion procession ends. The actual immersion procession will begin at 9 am.
Keeping in mind the heavy crowd of devotees and security, police have made special arrangements for no-parking, traffic diversions and ring roads in several areas. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Traffic, Dr Sandeep Bhajibhakare has appealed to citizens and drivers to check the full plan before setting out.
The 17 major roads that will be closed include Chhatrapati Shivaji Road (from Kakasaheb Gadgil statue to Jedhe Chowk), Laxmi Road (from Sant Kabir Chowki to Alka Talkies Chowk), Bajirao Road (from Savarkar Chowk to Phutka Buruj Chowk), Kumthekar Road (from Tilak Chowk to Chitale Corner Chowk), Ganesh Road (from Daruwala Bridge to Jijamata Chowk), Kelkar Road (from Budhwar Chowk to Alka Talkies Chowk), Tilak Road (from Jedhe Chowk to Tilak Chowk), Shastri Road (from Senadutta Chowki to Alka Talkies Chowk), Jangli Maharaj Road (from Jhansi Rani Chowk to Khandoji Baba Chowk), Karve Road (from Nal Stop Chowk to Khandoji Baba Chowk), Fergusson Road (from Khandoji Baba Chowk to the Fergusson College main gate), Bhandarkar Road (from PYC Gymkhana via Goodluck Chowk to Nataraj Chowk), Pune-Satara Road (from Volga Chowk to Jedhe Chowk), Solapur Road (from Seven Loves Chowk to Jedhe Chowk), Prabhat Road (from Deccan Post to Shelarmama Chowk), Bagade Road (from Sonya Maruti Chowk to Phadke Haud Chowk), and Guru Nanak Road (from Devjibaba Chowk via Hamzekhan Chowk to Govind Halwai Chowk).
If required, traffic will be diverted from Jhansi Rani Chowk on Jangli Maharaj Road, Kakasaheb Gadgil statue on Shivaji Road, Apollo Talkies and Daruwala Bridge on Mudaliar Road, Sant Kabir police chowki on Laxmi Road, Seven Loves Chowk on Solapur Road, Volga Chowk on Satara Road, Savarkar statue chowk on Bajirao Road, Senadutta police chowki on Lal Bahadur Shastri Road, Nal Stop on Karve Road, and Goodluck Chowk on Fergusson College Road.
For citizens, the ring road and alternative routes include Karve Road to Nal Stop, Law College Road, Senapati Bapat Road junction, Ganeshkhind Road, Simla Office Chowk, Sancheti Hospital Chowk and Engineering College Chowk; Ambedkar Road from Shahir Amar Sheikh Chowk to Maldhakka Chowk, Bolhai Chowk, Narpatgiri Chowk, then Nehru Road to Sant Kabir police chowki, Seven Loves Chowk, Wakhar Mahamandal Chowk and via Shivneri Road to the Gultekdi-Market Yard junction; Satara Road to Volga Chowk (Laxmi Narayan Cinema); and Sinhagad Road via Mitramandal Chowk, Savarkar Chowk, the Sinhagad Road junction, Lal Bahadur Shastri Road, Senadutta police chowki, Anant Kanhere Path via Mhatre Bridge up to Nal Stop.
From 11 pm on Thursday, September 24, until the immersion procession ends, parking of ordinary vehicles will be strictly barred on the main roads, though police, fire brigade, ambulance and MSEB vehicles are exempt. The roads where no-parking will apply include Laxmi Road, Kelkar Road, Kumthekar Road, Tilak Road, Bajirao Road, Shivaji Road, Shastri Road, Jangli Maharaj Road, Karve Road and Namdar Gopalkrishna Gokhale Road (FC Road). Parking will also be completely barred within about 100 metres of the side roads connecting Khandoji Baba Chowk to Hotel Vaishali.
From midnight on Friday to midnight on Saturday, a total of 48 hours, entry of all heavy vehicles into Pune city will be closed. Heavy vehicle drivers have been asked to use outer bypass routes.
On Dhayari and Sinhagad Road, traffic from Dhayari Phata Chowk towards Umbarya Ganpati Chowk will be closed; traffic coming from Swargate will be diverted via Dhayari flyover, Rajyog Society Chowk, Nanded City Chowk and Canal Bridge. Traffic on Sinhagad Road will be closed from 11 am to midnight, for which Goyal Ganga Chowk, Sinhagad College Road or Veer Baji Pasalkar Chowk can be used. In Keshavnagar and Mundhwa, those going from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk (Keshavnagar) to Manjari will have to go via Renuka Mata temple, and those going from Gairan Vasti to Mundhwa Chowk will have to turn left near Renuka Mata temple and go via Venkatesh Graphics.
To avoid traffic jams, the administration has arranged parking at 27 locations in the city. Two-wheeler parking is available at all these locations, while some specific spots have been designated for four-wheelers. These include New English School Ramanbaug, Nilayam Talkies, Shivaji Akhada parking, Desai College (police parking 17), Vimalabai Garware High School, Hamalwada (near Patrya Maruti Chowk), Abasaheb Garware College, Sanjeevani Medical College ground, Gogate Prashala, Apte Prashala, Fergusson College, SSPMS Shivajinagar, Jain Hostel (BMCC Road), SP College, Marathwada College, PMPML ground (near Puram Chowk), Peshwa Path, Ranade Path, Peshwe Park Sarasbaug, Savarkar Chowk opposite Harjivan Hospital, Congress Bhavan Road, Patil Plaza parking, Parvati to Dandekar Bridge, Dandekar Bridge to Ganeshmala, New English School Tilak Road, the riverbed (from Bhide Bridge to Gaditala Bridge), Ganeshmala to Rajaram Bridge, and BMCC ground.
