Traffic relief for Sinhagad Road: two flyovers to open in March and May

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is completing these projects under chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ 100-day, seven-point program

Citizens travelling on Sinhagad Road will soon get relief from heavy traffic between Rajaram Bridge and the Pune-Bengaluru Highway. The city’s longest flyover, stretching 2,120 meters (about 2 km) from Vitthalwadi to Funtime, will open by March-end. Another 1,540-meter (1.5 km) flyover from Goyalganga Chowk to Prakash Inamdar Chowk will be operational by May-end.  

This will provide relief to nearly 6-7 lakh daily commuters on this busy road.   (HT PHOTO)

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is completing these projects under chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ 100-day, seven-point program. This will provide relief to nearly 6-7 lakh daily commuters on this busy road.  

Over the past two decades, the Sinhagad Road area has witnessed rapid urbanisation, with development extending up to Khadakwasla Dam. Additionally, the population along the Pune-Bengaluru Highway has increased significantly. However, there is only one main road connecting these areas to the city.  

The 3 km stretch from Rajaram Bridge to Dhayri has about four to five major intersections, causing frequent traffic congestion. Although the development plan proposes a 32-meter-wide road, many sections remain only 24 meters wide. As a result, commuters face severe traffic jams during peak hours in the morning and evening. To address this issue, the PMC proposed a flyover project, which is now in its final phase. Last year, the Rajaram Bridge Chowk flyover was inaugurated before the Lok Sabha elections. Once these two new bridges open, vehicles from Dhayri to Swargate and vice versa will have a smoother journey.  

At present, asphalting work is underway from Vitthalwadi to Funtime flyover and Goyalganga Chowk to Prakash Inamdar Chowk. It will be completed in 15 days. Besides that, PMC has started approaching road works which will be completed simultaneously. 

Sandeep Patil, executive engineer of the Project department said, “These flyovers will eliminate bottlenecks at five key intersections, significantly reducing travel time. The Prakash Inamdar Chowk, Hingne Chowk, Santosh Hall Chowk, Manik Bagh Chowk, and Ganga Bhagyodaya Chowk will experience reduced congestion.”  

He further said, “Previously, drivers spent 4-5 minutes at each intersection due to traffic jams. The average vehicle speed on Sinhagad Road was only 9-12 km/h. With the new flyovers, Traffic flow will improve, vehicle speed will increase, and it will take five minutes to cover a distance of around 2.5 km instead of 30 minutes. As per a study, around 75 per cent of commuters will use flyovers and only 25 per cent will use regular roads. Therefore, the road will decongest.”