Wagholi traffic nightmare to end with Rs 462 crore flyover project

PUNE: For commuters between Kharadi and Wagholi, the Pune-Ahmednagar highway has been a nightmare for the past few years, especially a 2.5- km stretch that needs more than an hour to cross during the morning and evening rush hours. But, relief awaits the hundreds of people with the state public works department (PWD) preparing a Rs 462- crore detailed project report (DPR), which includes road widening and flyover construction in another two years.
About five years ago, residents and office-goers of the fast-developing northeastern suburb of Pune started demanding a solution to the traffic chaos that they have to endure every day. With the DPR being sent for a formal approval at the end of this month for clearance, people can only hope tenders for the project are floated soon.
Barring the flyover at Wagholi, the project also includes three other flyovers on the key Pune-Shirur sector, as it is dotted with several education institutes, offices of IT and IT-enabled services, BPOs and most significantly two MIDCs at Ranjangaon and Sanaswadi.
While the longest flyover will be constructed at Wagholi, the others will come up at Lonikand, Koregaon Bhima and Shikrapur Chowk. Because of these flyovers, the PWD officials hope that the drive from Pune to Shirur (68 km) will also smoother.
As per the proposal, the 2.5-km flyover will be constructed to avoid huge snarls at Wagheshwar Chowk, Awhalwadi Chowk and Kesnand Phata in Wagholi. It will take two years to complete the flyover work, as estimated by the DPR. Initially, the road-widening works will be completed and then the actual flyover work will start.
Talking to Pune Mirror,Namrata Reddy, executive engineer of PWD (projects), said, “We have prepared a DPR of the entire project. This will help reduce the issue of major traffic on the entire stretch, especially between Kharadi and Wagholi’s Kesnand Phata. Besides, the other three flyovers will also ease vehicular pressure on the highway. We hope to complete the formalities by the end of this month. We are also taking views of local residents and making corrections in the plan wherever required.”
Kalpesh Jachak, a social worker from Wagholi, told Mirror, “The current plan for the flyover is till Kesnand Phata only. We wanted to extend the same till BJS College at Bakori Phata. The urbanisation of this particular area is taking place rapidly and the extension will help avoid traffic issues in future. The stretch from Kharadi’s IT Park to Kesnand Phata is chaotic the entire day. Encroachment by shopkeepers, parking of four-wheelers on the main road have become a regular affair because of gaps in the median divider at Domkhel Road, Baif Road and Bhawadi Road.” Ganesh Mhaske, another local resident, said, “The local weekly bazaar on Awhalwadi Road and the dumpers carrying stones increases trouble for motorists. PMPML buses get stuck because of the narrow stretch. The lives of locals and motorists will be easier with the construction of flyovers.” Natraj Satav, another local resident, echoed the same, “Wagholi has rapidly developed as a suburb of Pune city with mega housing projects being constructed. Several education campuses have also been set up. This flyover work is the need of hour. It should be completed without delay as it happened on Nashik road.”
The project will help reduce the issue of major traffic on the entire stretch, especially between Kharadi and Wagholi’s Kesnand Phata
— Namrata Reddy, executive engineer of PWD (projects)