Pune: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has approved the traffic decongestion proposals for the Katraj-Dehu Road bypass on Pune-Bangalore highway, sanctioning a budget of ₹300 crore.
The proposal, which aims to resolve the escalating traffic issues on the bypass, was submitted following a collaborative effort between the Pune Traffic Police, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).
Chandrakant Patil, Minister of Higher and Technical Education, Textile, and Parliamentary Affairs, said: "Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has given in-principle approval for the proposed solutions on the Pune-Bangalore road. NHAI, PMC, and Pune Police have been instructed to work together on this. These solutions will significantly help reduce congestion on the bypass."
Proposed Development Works:
Bhumkar Underpass: A new underpass using the pre-cast box method beside the existing one.
Nanaware Underpass: Two new underpasses near Kia and Renault showrooms.
Narhe Direction Cantilever Bridge at Navale Bridge: One lane of vehicles heading towards Narhe will have a cantilever bridge, with the remaining lanes being channeled to create a signal-free junction.
Connecting Road to Highway from Pashan-Sus Road: Complete the pending service road and link roads.
100-Meter Rotary Traffic Lane: Develop a 100-meter margin road at Radha Hotel (PMPML land) and in front of Hotel Orchid to introduce a rotary system. Conduct feasibility studies for an underpass at this location.
Service Roads on Both Sides of Pune-Bangalore National Highway: Construct 27.99 km of service roads, each 12 meters wide.
External Service Road: A 49.12 km external service road to be built by PMC, 12 meters wide.
Flyover at Balewadi Stadium: Since Baner Road is an alternative route to Balewadi-Aundh Road, a flyover is proposed in front of the stadium, connecting Mumbai-bound traffic from Balewadi.
Pune-Bangalore Bypass Situation:
Traffic Growth: Over the past five years, approximately 2 million additional vehicles have been registered in Pune, increasing the total number of vehicles from 5.2 million in 2018 to 7.2 million in 2024. Around 1,300 new vehicles are added daily.
Bypass Usage: Despite being a bypass, the Pune-Bangalore road functions as a ring road for vehicles traveling to Solapur, Saswad, Satara, and Mumbai, due to Pune's lack of an official ring road.
Road Widening: The road was originally built as a two-lane highway in 1994 and expanded to four lanes in 2000. A six-lane upgrade was proposed in 2010, and work is still ongoing.
Accidents: In the last three years, there have been over 100 accidents on this road, resulting in 68 deaths and 54 serious injuries.