Ring Road Project Delayed; Delay Due to Defense Department Land Acquisition

In Brief

• The ambitious Ring Road project of the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has once again encountered difficulties.

• The tender process for the Solu to Vadgaon Shinde route in the first phase has been halted due to the non-acquisition of land required from the Defense Department for this project.

• This project was included in the district regional plan in 1997.

The ambitious Ring Road project of the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has once again encountered difficulties. The tender process for the Solu to Vadgaon Shinde route in the first phase has been halted due to the non-acquisition of the land required from the defense department. The purpose of the Ring Road project is to reduce traffic congestion between Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad cities and to divert heavy vehicles outside the city. This project was included in the district regional plan in 1997, but it has not yet been completed. In the first phase, the construction of the approximately 4.7 km long Solu–Nirgude–Vadgaon Shinde road is proposed.

The PMRDA has sent the land acquisition proposal to the District Collector's office, and possession of other lands has been obtained except for the forest and defense departments. However, the issue of 23 hectares of defense department land remains. The proposal for land transfer is pending with the state government. Therefore, the tender process for the first phase has currently been halted, informed Metropolitan Commissioner Dr. Yogesh Mhase. A provision of 145 crore 75 lakh rupees has been made for this project, and the road will be 65 meters wide and 128 kilometers long. Some parts of this road will be developed by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).

The work will not commence until the land from the Defense Department is acquired, so citizens will have to endure traffic congestion on Nagar Road for some more time. The delay in the Ring Road project has prolonged the wait for the people of Pune.