PMRDA to construct two stretches of Pune Inner Ring Road
The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has opted to develop two sections of the proposed Inner Ring Road through public-private partnership (PPP) as a pilot project, with the development costs to be repaid via credit note. A tender was floated on 14th February 2024 to appoint a project management consultant to oversee the construction, estimated to cost INR 550 crore for both sections. One section stretches from Lohegaon to Charholi within the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits, while the other traverses a forested area from Solu to Nirgudi on the Pune-Ahmednagar Road. The 4.8 km Solu to Nirgudi stretch is expected to cost INR 400 crore, while the 5.7 km Lohegaon to Charholi stretch, which includes roads, viaducts, bridges, and connecting loops, is estimated at INR 150 crore. These sections will link Wagholi on the Pune-Ahmednagar Road to Charholi within Pimpri-Chinchwad limits, enhancing access to the PMRDA Ring Road, Wadgaon Shinde, and Lohegaon villages.
According to Ashok Bhalkar, chief engineer of PMRDA, the Inner Ring Road project involves three stages: land acquisition, preparation of a detailed project report (DPR) and appointment of a project management consultant, and tendering for construction. The DPR is nearly completed, and land acquisition is underway with an allotted budget of INR 50 crore, and a proposed allocation of INR 100 crore in the upcoming budget. The Inner Ring Road, covering 44 villages across Khed, Haveli, Mulshi, and Maval talukas, requires around 720 hectares of land, with a total estimated project cost of INR 1,400 crore, including land acquisition.
The proposed Inner Ring Road is expected to significantly reduce the distance between Charholi and Wagholi from the current 16.5 km to 27 km to just 5.7 km. The project route will connect Urse, Aakurdi, Chakan, Solu, Wagholi, Kadamwak Wasti, Holkarwadi, Dhayari, Bavdhan Budruk, and Sangavade, sharing a 38.5 km alignment with the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation’s (MSRDC) Ring Road between Urse and Solu villages. Both the PMRDA’s 83.12 km Inner Ring Road and the MSRDC’s Outer Ring Road are proposed by the state government to alleviate congestion on inner city roads.
News Source – Indian Express Website