Pune road and traffic update: To ease traffic congestion in the industrial area of Chakan in Pune district, the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) is set to take up various road construction projects in the area. The projects will be a total 40.74 km in length and cost a total of Rs 558.12 crore. Residents of Chakan, including Shirur MP Amol Kolhe, recently held a protest against the traffic issues plaguing the industrial town. Earlier, Deputy chief minister and Pune Guardian minister Ajit Pawar had visited Chakan to review the traffic situation and directed the PMRDA to take up road development works to resolve the situation. PMRDA Commissioner Yogesh Mhase informed that the authority has already speeded up the road development work in Chakan. "There are six stretches totalling 17.69 km of road works under technical scrutiny post tender finalisation worth Rs 196.50 crore that have been approved by the chief minister who is the chairperson of PMRDA," he said. The six stretches include 2.5 km long road from Dehu to Yelwadi at Rs 104 crore, 5.6 km long road from Kohinde Phata to Kadus Gaothan at Rs 20 crore, 5.5 km long road from Kadus Gaothan to Kiwale at Rs 20 crore, two km long Dhamane Phata to Koye at Rs 8 crore, 1.2 km long road from Bhose to Wadgaon Ghenand at Rs 5 crore and 0.89 km road from Kiwale to Ambethan at Rs 3.5 crore. "On October 8, the PMRDA issued tender advertisement for seven road stretches totalling 17.7 km worth Rs 100.14 crore that will resolve the traffic congestion at the main Chakan junction," he said. These stretches include four km on either side from Pune-Nashik road to Alandi Phata on Alandi road at Rs 20 crore each, a 2.5 km stretch from Kuruli Phata to Nighoje at Rs 15.5 crore, a 1.7 km stretch from Chikhali to Moi at Rs 13.42 crore, two km from Khalumbre to MIDC phase 2 at Rs 12.5 crore, a two km stretch from Charhole Khurd to Markal Road at R 12 crore and a 1.5 km long stretch from Nighoje to Chakan MIDC at Rs 6.72 crore. The metropolitan authority has also speeded up land acquisition of four road stretches totaling 5.35 km long roads in the area and have earmarked Rs 261.48 crore for it. These stretches include 2.5 km from Medankarwadi Road from Bangla Vasti Chowk to Rase Phata at Rs 111.75 crore, a 0.75 km stretch from Western Bypass connecting Pune-Nashik highway, Chakan MIDC Phase-5 and Talegaon MIDC to old Mumbai-Pune Highway at Rs 91.68 crore, 1.2 km stretch from Nanekarwadi Road from Sany Company connecting to Samruddhi CNG Pump at Rs 33.40 crore and a 0.90 km stretch from Talegaon-Chakan highway road connecting Hingane Chowk to Chakan Industrial Area Phase 3 at Rs 24.65 crore. The PMRDA has so far demolished 428 unauthorised structures in Chakan area to remove bottlenecks alongside the road.
