Pune’s Traffic Makeover: PMC Invests Rs 25 Crore to Connect Missing Link Roads

Pune, 17th December 2023: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has taken significant steps to address traffic issues by acquiring land to complete eight missing link roads in the city. Work has already commenced on three of these stretches, with the objective of providing relief to commuters from persistent traffic challenges.

Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar explained the rationale behind the initiative, stating, “These links, identified through a survey, are a priority for the civic administration. Budgetary provisions for this project have been planned in the current and future civic budgets.”

Civic officials highlighted the identification of 38 locations where traffic is expected to improve upon the completion of the missing links. The unresolved stretches range from 100 meters to approximately 1 km in length.

Aniruddha Pawaskar, head of PMC’s road department, explained the historical challenges faced by these missing links, including issues like land unavailability, local opposition, removal of facilities such as public toilets, and more. He emphasized that these challenges are being addressed on a case-by-case basis.

The initial survey of missing links involved collaboration with a private agency and an educational institute. PMC identified 390 incomplete road stretches within its limits. Delays in land acquisitions and legal issues impeding road construction will now be addressed by respective ward offices and the PMC road department.

To streamline the process, PMC has assigned one engineer to each missing link, tasked with resolving issues related to land acquisition and encroachments that have hindered construction. The identified missing links set to benefit from this initiative are located in key areas such as Hadapsar, Nagar Road, Kothrud, and Satara Road. The completion of these links is expected to provide access to larger roads, including highways.

Approximately Rs 25 crore is allocated in the municipal budget of 2023-24 for this initiative. Civic officials also specified that funds will be utilized for the development of missing links in newly merged areas, further enhancing connectivity in the city.