Citizens oppose 1.75km double-deck flyover on busy Ahmednagar Road

PUNE: An association of citizens’ forums has demanded that the proposed double-deck flyover on Ahmednagar Road should be scrapped as the civic administration is already implementing BRTS route and Kharadi-Shivne road project on the stretch.

The MahaMetro has proposed the double-deck flyover at Rs 175 crore between Gunjan Chowk and Shastrinagar Chowk with dedicated decks for Metro and regular traffic.This will be part of the Civil Court-Ramwadi Metro route, for which civil work is expected to begin in the next few months.
Qaneez Sukhrani, a member of the Association of the Ahmednagar Road Citizens’ Forums, said notices have been issued to the authorities concerned, including the Pune Municipal Corporation and the MahaMetro, demanding that the flyover be scrapped.
Sukhrani alleged that proper planning was not done before proposing the double-deck flyover. “The civic administration is already implementing bus rapid transit system (BRTS) route and Kharadi-Shivne road project on the same stretch. Therefore, spending Rs 175 crore on the flyover is a monumental waste of public money,” she said.
Sukhrani said the authorities have failed to reach out to the citizens so far. “The detailed route alignment is not available on the websites of the civic administration and the MahaMetro. The issues have been raised before the authorities, however no response has been received to the letters,” she added.
The association has claimed that multiple road-related works within 500 metre stretch will create unnecessary traffic troubles on the stretch. “The flyover will also invite more private vehicles on the road, thus, adding to the congestion of road,” the association said.
The flyover, similar to the one planned on Nal Stop, will cover a total length of 1.75km, MahaMetro officials said, adding that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been given two months to revert on the proposal. Of Rs 175 crore of the project, about 75% will be borne by the PMC as the pillars will anyway be constructed by the MahaMetro, the officials added.
Incidentally, around four bus stops along the Yerawada-Wagholi BRTS corridor on Nagar Road will see a shift to either sides because of the Metro works. Senior PMPML have said the shift would trigger problems along the corridor and cause inconvenience for the commuters as well.
A PMPML official said the utility had received a communication that the corridor will see an overlapping because of the Metro rail project.