Hinjewadi junction traffic plan under test today

On Monday,when the heavy weekday traffic starts to roll at Hinjewadi flyover junction,the right-turn closure plan of the city traffic police will be put to test after its implementation on Saturday.

To ease congestion at the square below the flyover,all the four right turns at the junction have been plugged since Saturday. As per a study by the traffic police in the past,only 14 per cent of the 1.5 lakh vehicles crossing the square take a right turn. The closure of the right turns have taken off the pain of waiting at the signals off the 86 per cent remaining commuters.

In fact the signals on the Katraj-Dehu Road bypass,part of NH-4,was a rare example of a signal on a high-speed highway. With these signals gone traffic can move smoothly. However the crucial issue of safety of pedestrians,who are demanding an overhead crossing-bridge,has yet to be addressed. As of now four traffic cops have been deployed who stop the highway traffic every three to four minutes to allow pedestrian movement. “Crossing the highway now is an adventure,even if there are traffic police,” feels Aniket Shrotri,an IT professional.

Assistant police inspector Prasanna Bangale at the Hinjewadi traffic division said,”We have asked PCMC to install pedestrian traffic signals on the highway. But a pedestrian bridge will be the safest solution. ”

The PCMC has already begun installing flex boards to guide commuters. Traffic towards Rajiv Gandhi IT Park in the morning,with over 25,000 vehicles on weekdays,will not have any change of route.

For the evening traffic of around the same number of vehicles coming out of Hinjewadi,there will be three alternative routes. This will divide the traffic and reduce jamming and travel time significantly.

Balwant Kashid,senior police inspector for Hunjwadi division said,”We still need to work on safety measures on some of the alternate routes. There would be some glitches as we start on Monday,we expect them ease out in a week’s time.”

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Pune to Mumbai
(Wakad Y Junction to Kala Khadak underpass): Kaspate VastiWakad village-Kalate Nagar; Kalewadi Fata-Dange Chowk; Kaspate Vasti-Wajad Village-PDCC Bank-Sayaji Hotel.

Mumbai to Hinjewadi
(Kala Khadak Underpass to Mezza9 Hotel): Service road in front of My Car to Shivaji Chowk; Bhumkar Vasti-Shivaji Chowk-Hinjewadi; Bhumkar Vasti-PCMC octroi booth-Marunji Road

Hinjewadi to Katraj
(Mezza9 Hotel to Wakad octroi Booth): Shivaji Chowk-Hinjewadi Flyover-PDCC bank-Eden; Garden-Service road; Shivaji Chowk-Hinjewadi village-Bhumkar Vasti-Kala Khadak; Marunji Road-PCMC octroi booth-Kala Khadak

Katraj to Wakad
(Y junction): Wakad octroi booth-Kala Khadak-Kalate Nagar-Wakad village-Kaspate Vasti; Wakad octroi booth-Kala Khadak U-turn -Wakad village-Kaspate Vasti

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