PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has made headway in ensuring that traffic congestion does not happen around the Pune airport - that has often resulted in passengers missing their flights.
The civic administration has proposed new roads to decongest VIP Road and 509 Chowk near the airport. It will take around six months to implement the plan. Of late, traffic congestion was becoming a major issue around the airport due to lack of land to develop new roads. The PMC has planned alternate roads to VIP Road as well as old airport road.
The Members of Parliament, local representatives, commuters and the airport authority were demanding concrete plan from PMC to decongest this key area in Pune.
TWO NEW ROADS PROPOSED
PMC Road Department Executive Engineer Ganesh Salunkhe said, “At present, commuters are facing traffic congestion from 509 Chowk to Airport Chowk and from Symbiosis Chowk to Airport Chowk. We started a one-way road from Symbiosis College Chowk to 509 Chowk, that brought relief to the commuters. We have taken steps to widen the road from Yerawada police chowki near Nagpur Chawl to 509 Chowk to ease traffic congestion in that area.”
While explaining the plan, Salunke said, “We have proposed two alternative roads -- one from Airport parking (outside the airport) through Puru Society which will connect Airport Road near Sanjay Park. Another road has been planned from behind Symbiosis College that
will pass through land owned by Indian Air Force and will connect to Mhada Colony in Viman Nagar. Commuters will get two options to connect to Pune-Ahmednagar Road.”
ONE ROAD WILL BE OPERATIONAL SOON
PMC road department’s Senior Engineer Dhananjay Gaikwad said, “These two roads divide traffic into two parts and decongest traffic near the airport. The civic body has completed road work towards Mhada Colony and only 120 metre length is remaining which is passing through Air Force land. The civic body has requested the Air Force to allow us to use this land.
He said, “They are positive. We will construct that patch in two days and the road will be operational.” Gaikwad added, “We have to acquire land for Puru Society to Airport parking (outside airport parking number-1) proposed road. There is a private property and the PMC is negotiating with land owners.”
TRAFFIC CONGESTION
Of late, traffic congestion was becoming a major issue around the airport due to lack of land to develop new roads.