Their nightmare will continue for the next few months, as the civic body is yet to take a final decision on it. Expansion Even after spending a lot of time in conducting surveys for the project, no details could be made available.
Both these British-era underpasses were suitable a decade ago, when the number of vehicles on the city roads was less.in the last few years, traffic flow has grown rapidly, necessitating their immediate expansion.
For example – when they were built, both underpasses could only accommodate a maximum of two small cars parked next to each other (one in each lane). This has not changed. Hence, today the queues outside the underpasses are long, especially during peak hours.
Besides, the diversion carried out on University Road for metro work is putting additional pressure on both the underpasses.
This route is the only way to reach the Range Hills Aundh-Khadki Road From the old Pune Mumbai Highway. One is located near the Central Hatchery, while the other is located near the Khadki Police Station. Both have been converted into one-way corridors.
Anita Dixit, a frequent user of the road, told the Times of India, “I have to use this road every other day as there is no alternate route to reach my destination. Last day, amid this chaos, it took me an hour and 20 minutes to cover a distance of 700-800 metres by car. Vehicles are not moving here. The road has become even worse because of the new curves due to the Metro work on University Road.”
To compound the problem, both the underpasses are in a very bad condition, mainly due to the accumulation of rainwater. Two-wheeler riders especially find it difficult to pass through this route as they are unable to judge the depth of the potholes, especially at night. Moreover, the route has become dangerously slippery during rains.
The roads leading to the underpass are also full of huge potholes, which have turned into craters at some places. Commuters fear that these conditions will get worse due to rains in the next few months.
Akash Kulkarni, a software technician from Aundh who regularly uses this route, said, “I don’t know when the authorities will wake up from their deep slumber. It seems like they are waiting for a major fatal accident to happen. Using these underpasses is a nightmare and puts thousands of lives at risk.”
The Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) ambitious widening plan for both the underpasses is still at the discussion stage with all other stakeholders – including the Army, Defence Estates Office (DEO) and Pune Railway officials – but a consensus has not been reached yet. The Khadki Cantonment Board (KCB), under whose jurisdiction these underpasses fall, had earlier cited financial inability to take up the project. In 2023, PMC had offered to take it instead.
PMC chief engineer Srinivas Bonala confirmed to Times of India, saying, “We have surveyed both the sites. Our report is ready and has been shared with all authorities. The survey has been done at our level.”
Municipal officials said the estimated cost of the project was close to Rs 25 crore and could rise. A section of municipal officials also told TOI that the project could not move ahead due to the recent elections.
But the Aundh Road Bhau Patil Road Association said it had raised the need for widening with all concerned departments three years ago. “Many people need to use the road Tunnel daily, often multiple times. The widening of the Khadki underpass needs to be taken up on a war footing. From 9am to noon and then again from 5pm to late at night, it is complete chaos. Motorists avoid this route as they fear collisions, potholes and waterlogging,” said Samuel Mathew, a resident of Aundh Road.
Harsh Dhonge, another local resident who uses this road to go home after work, said that the road is repaired time and again, but the condition never seems to improve. “How many times will the authorities do patchwork at the turn of Khadki pass or the road outside Khadki police station? As a bike rider, this road seems like a death trap on most days. There is always waterlogging, poor lighting and potholes everywhere.
Meanwhile, officials are busy blaming each other when asked about the progress of the project. “Railway officials have raised questions on our report. We will discuss those issues and resolve them in the meeting on June 21,” Bonala said.
“After all, the railway line is on these underpasses. If we want to execute the project, we will have to take the consent of the railway authorities. We are hoping for a quick response,” said another senior PMC official.
Indu Rani Dubey, divisional regional manager of Pune railway division, assured, “We are looking at the project positively. We will work with the concerned authorities, including the PMC, to provide all possible assistance. Our technical team will help take the discussions to the next stage.”
The project will also require over an acre of defence land, including A-1 defence land, which falls under the management of the Local Military Authority (LMA).
The Board of Officers (BOO) of Station Headquarters Khadki, which is the LMA, had also carried out an independent survey and inspection in the past. “We submitted our report to the PMC a few months ago. Our BOO has given the green signal to the project in view of the dire state of traffic congestion at Range Hills under the limits of Khadki Cantonment Board (KCB),” a senior Army officer told TOI on condition of anonymity.
“We have conveyed this aspect to the higher authorities. In principle, they have given their consent. Once the PMC finalises the project, we will obtain the necessary work permission from the authorities, including the Union Ministry of Defence (MoD),” said a senior official from the DEO Pune division.
Two weeks ago, Shivajinagar MLA Siddharth Shirole, who has been working on the project for the last two years, discussed the matter with Deputy Chief Minister and District Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar.
