Pune: Nitin Gadkari Intervenes to Expedite Work on Katraj-Kondhwa Road Widening

Pune, 30th November 2024: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has stepped in to accelerate the long-delayed work on the 84-meter-wide Katraj-Kondhwa road. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), facing challenges in acquiring the required land for the 4-kilometre stretch, has decided to reduce the road width to 50 meters for now.

Despite this decision, PMC Commissioner Dr. Rajendra Bhosale stated that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is prepared to develop the road at its original width of 84 meters if the PMC completes the necessary land acquisition, as assured by Gadkari.

“Following Gadkari’s instructions, the PMC must expedite the land acquisition process to resolve the pending issues. For the additional 34 meters, approximately 17,200 square meters of land are required, costing ₹124 crore. A proposal will be sent to the State Government to secure 50% of this funding,” Bhosale said.

The Katraj-Kondhwa road, part of the Fursungi-Katraj highway, is a critical route that facilitates 24-hour heavy vehicle traffic from Nagar Road and Solapur Highway through the city. The widening of this road to 84 meters was inaugurated by Gadkari on 31st October 2018, but progress has since stalled.

Tenders were floated for widening the 3.5-kilometre stretch from Rajas Society in Katraj to Khadi Machine Chowk in Kondhwa. However, the project has been at a standstill for six years due to land acquisition challenges. Initially, ₹710 crore was required for the acquisition, but due to PMC’s delays, landowners have refused to hand over land in exchange for Transferable Development Rights (TDR) or Floor Space Index (FSI).

In response to these issues, the government allocated ₹180 crore to the PMC six months ago for land acquisition. The PMC’s decision to reduce the road width to 50 meters aims to overcome the hurdles and move the project forward, but Gadkari’s intervention has reignited efforts to complete the road as originally planned.