Pune to get network of road tunnels to fix major traffic concerns: Fadnavis
The Ring Road will also ease traffic situations in a big way in the city as vehicles get diverted from outside the city. "The main reason for traffic in Pune is the bottlenecks at the entry and exit points of the city.
Predicting that Pune and Navi Mumbai will emerge as leading Global Capability Centres (GCC) in the country that will be hubs of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the country and will contribute in a big way to the growth of the economy of India, Chief Minister Devendra Fadanavis on Monday said that the development of the city has to be according to growing needs for which Pune city will get a network of road tunnels to resolve its major problem of traffic congestion.
Fadanavis, in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various civic projects worth Rs 3,000 crore in Pune city ahead of the civic polls. “All the civic projects inaugurated today are of public benefit which will ease lives of common people,” Fadanavis said, adding that most of the projects are of water supply, sewage treatment and improving traffic.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has already taken up road infrastructure work to resolve traffic issues of the city which include developing missing links of 32 roads. “Mobility is a big issue in Pune. Traffic congestion and pollution due to that is of concern. The city needs to have road infrastructure that decongest existing roads. The city and its population will continue to grow. Thus, there is a need for solutions like a network of tunnel roads which will solve the traffic issue. These tunnels will cut across the city and ease the traffic on the road,” said Fadnavis.
The Ring Road will also ease traffic situations in a big way in the city as vehicles get diverted from outside the city. “The main reason for traffic in Pune is the bottlenecks at the entry and exit points of the city. It takes two hours for the vehicles moving out of the city due to traffic congestion. The elevated roads being planned on the highways of Nagar road, Solapur road will resolve the issue of bottlenecks in the area,” said Fadnavis. A comprehensive Mobility plan for the city has been prepared and the metro expansion has received good response in Pune, he said, adding that the addition of 1,000 electric buses in public transport would provide seamless connectivity.
The Chief Minister said all states in the country have only one mega city that contributes to economic growth, but Maharashtra is the only state in the country with two megacities, Mumbai and Pune, that contribute in a big way to economic growth of the nation. “Pune is the growth engine of the state. It has a world class facility and a hub of manufacturing and IT industry. India is predicted to be the capital of data centres. There will be a data driven economy in the future. Pune along with Navi Mumbai will be the AI hub of the country,” he said.
Pawar said that is taking big strides towards development. “We cannot stop the progress but have to be prepared to handle it and meet the growing needs of the city. Traffic issues are being resolved with metro rail and road infrastructure. Water is going to be a big concern in the future and there are plans to meet rising water demand through Mulshi dam which till date was used only for power generation.”
Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol said that the BJP in the last ten years has ensured proper development of the city by bringing in mega infrastructure projects. “For many years I was just hearing about metro rail but it was during BJP rule that it became a reality,” he said.
Projects inaugurated
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Road Infrastructure for Pune Grand Tour Cycle Race – Rs 145.75 crore
Footpath Repair drive – Rs 12 crore
17 Overhead water tanks and 24 by 7 supply in 35 zones – Rs 595.85 crore
Sewage Treatment Plant at Katraj – Rs 13.31 crore
Fire Stations at Kharadi, Kothrud and Baner- Rs 21 crore
Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College building – Rs 174 crore
75 Model Schools – Rs 34 crore
PET Scan, Radio Diagnostic facility- Rs 32 crore
Integrated Command and Control Centre – Rs 111.75 crore
Snake Park renovation – Rs 64 crore
Foundation stones laid for projects
New Water Treatment Plant at Vadgaon Budruk – Rs 186.92 crore
Flyover and Grade separators at Yerwada and Ganeshkhind Road – Rs 182.67 crore
Beautification of two Airport Roads – Rs 56 crore
Water supply system in Shewalewadi- Rs 36.55 crore
Water supply system in Keshavnagar- Rs 27.45 crore
Sewage Treatment Plants in extended area of city – Rs 270 crore
Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, Pune. With over 22 years of experience in the industry, he is a highly specialized journalist whose work focuses on the intersection of urban infrastructure, governance, and sustainability.
Professional Background
Role: As Assistant Editor, he plays a key role in the editorial direction of the Pune bureau, specializing in urban policy and its direct impact on citizens.
Education: He holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a PG Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He also studied at the prestigious Fergusson College.
Impactful Reporting: He is credited with research-based articles on conservancy staff (waste workers) that influenced national policy for better working conditions. He is also known for exposing the contrast between high-end infrastructure (like helipads for leaders) and the lack of basic amenities like schools in their home districts.
Personal Interests: An avid trekker and sports enthusiast, his personal interest in the outdoors often informs his reporting on environmental protection and sustainable development.
Recent Notable Articles (December 2025)
His reporting in late 2025 has been dominated by the upcoming January 2026 Civic Polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the city's infrastructure boom:
1. Political Analysis (Civic Elections 2026)
"Not friendly but a bitter fight lies ahead between BJP and NCP for PMC, PCMC" (Dec 22, 2025): A detailed look at the intense rivalry between the Mahayuti partners as they prepare for the January 15 municipal elections.
"Pune civic polls: Big blow to NCP, NCP(SP) as leaders switch to BJP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on high-profile poaching and party-hopping ahead of the elections.
"Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): Analyzing the results of the local self-government body elections as a precursor to the main civic polls.
2. Infrastructure & Urban Development
"Looking Ahead at 2026: Pune to see inauguration of much-awaited Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar metro route" (Dec 22, 2025): An "outlook" piece on the critical Metro Line 3 project expected to finish by March 2026.
"Building Pune: PMC to construct double-decker bridge over Mula-Mutha River" (Dec 18, 2025): Detailing a major project aimed at easing traffic between Hadapsar and Kharadi.
"Condition of highway from Pune to Kolhapur to improve in a year: Gadkari" (Dec 4, 2025): Reporting on the Union Minister’s assurances regarding one of the state's most critical transport corridors.
3. Civic Governance & Environment
"Install sensors, LED indicators at construction sites within 15 days: PMC to builders" (Dec 16, 2025): A follow-up to the "Breathless Pune" series, reporting on new mandates for builders to monitor air quality in real-time.
"Errors in electoral rolls: PMC corrects data of 92,466 voters" (Dec 16, 2025): Tracking the administrative efforts to clean up the voter lists before the 2026 elections.
Signature Style
Ajay Jadhav is known for accountability journalism. His work often bridges the gap between high-level policy and the "ground zero" reality of Pune's residents. He is particularly focused on Sustainable Development, ensuring that as Pune grows into a "Bharat Mandapam" style destination (referring to his report on the Lohegaon project), its environmental and social safeguards remain intact.
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