IT professionals travelling from Pune to Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park in Hinjewadi will be able to save time on their way with the subway at Wakad Phata, along Aundh-Kiwale Bus Rapid Transit Route (BRTS), opening on Monday. Over one lakh IT professionals travel to the IT park everyday, a majority of them use their private two-wheelers or four-wheelers. Despite several attempts by the Pune district administration to ease the traffic, poor regulation, narrow and bad roads and inadequate public transport system leads to snarls during the peak hours. Wakad Phata is a crucial junction where the road leading to the Infotech Park and the Aundh-Kiwale BRST routes meet. For the past several months, with the work on the flyover going on at Sai Chowk along the route, commuting on the eight-lane road had become a nightmare. All vehicles from Pune, Aundh and Pimple Gurav were forced to take the left arm at the junction towards Wakad, leading to severe congestion during the peak hours. Vehicles returning towards Wakad Phata would have to travel an additional distance of 2 km to reach the Y-junction after crossing over Sai Chowk. For residents of Hinjewadi, Wakad and Vishal Nagar, travelling to Pune city would be easier with the new facility. The road leading to the junction was widened after land was acquired from the nearby defence establishments. Although the project was delayed by over two years, daily commute for the techies along the route has been made easy as the junction has gone signal free. It is the second junction, after Sangvi along the route, to go completely signal free, because of a new flyover or an underpass. Shatrughna Kate, the corporator from Pimple Saudagar, said: “With the underpass, vehicles can pass with ease and will no longer be held up at the Y-junction signal.” Rajat Paliwar, a resident of Aundh Gaon, said: “The subway would be a big relief for two-wheeler riders like me as I can bypass the traffic. It was long overdue.” He said that earlier it would take him between 40 minutes to an hour to negotiate the traffic to reach work. But with the work completed, he is hoping that the travel time would now be reduced to half.
