Shivajinagar MLA Siddharth Shirole raised concerns in the assembly on Friday regarding the traffic congestion on Ganeshkhind road in the Pune University area. He appealed to expedite the construction of the Pune University flyover to relieve the burden of traffic on this vital road, which has been a cause of inconvenience to residents.
During his speech in the assembly on Friday, Shirole suggested that modern technology could be utilized to expedite the construction period of the flyover. He also mentioned that a new proposal has been sent to the state government and, if approved, the flyover could be completed within a year,
The University Road, also known as Ganeshkhind Road, is the primary route for people commuting from Hinjewadi and other regions in Pimpri Chinchwad, as well as some areas of Pune such as Aundh and Baner, to the central part of the city.
A double-deck flyover spanning 1.7km is being built from Pune University Chowk to the E-Square junction. The old flyover was demolished by mutual agreement during the lockdown period in July 2020. According to Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority, the flyover is expected to be completed by January 2024.
In a written application to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde earlier this month, Shirole had requested a joint meeting with Pune Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (PUMTA) and other stakeholders of the Pune Metro. In the application, he had highlighted that during peak traffic hours, the commute from Shivajinagar to Baner takes around 90 minutes, which has a significant impact on Aundh and nearby areas.
Shirole discussed various issues related to urban development in Pune, apart from the flyover construction issue. He proposed several solutions to mitigate short-term difficulties, including using modern technology to speed up the construction of the Shivajinagar-Hinjewadi Metro, strengthening the PMPML (Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited), and eliminating Water Hyacinth from rivers.