Pune: Traffic Woes To Continue As Keshav Nagar Underpass Opening Delayed

The underpass connecting Keshav Nagar and Amanora Park Town has been completed long ago but it still remains non-operational. The underbridge was constructed by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), and the authorities assured that the underpass would be functional once the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections was lifted. However, even a month after the announcement of the election results, the underpass is still not in use.

Commuters are facing difficulties due to traffic congestion. The underpass is expected to significantly alleviate traffic congestion in the area. Its activation would allow residents to bypass the often-congested Mundhwa Chowk and avoid lengthy waits at the railway crossing when travelling to Amanora Park Town, Hadapsar, and Magarpatta.

Citizens have been consistently raising their concerns and going from pillar to post to get the issue resolved. They are frustrated and have been continuously reaching out to the authorities, but it is falling on deaf ears.

The Free Press Journal covered this issue in May, and the PMRDA authorities confirmed that they would inaugurate the underpass once the elections were over.

Chaitnya Sharma, a resident of Mundhwa, said, "The underpass is completely ready to use but it is not operational. Similarly, there is one more bridge that connects Kharadi directly to Godrej Society in Keshav Nagar, which also remains non-functional. I have to commute daily to Manjri but the traffic congestion at Lonkar Chowk is insane. If this underpass becomes operational, the traffic congestion at the railway crossing will be reduced, easing the overall traffic situation. We are clueless about when this underpass will become functional. Nothing has been communicated by officials so far, even though the bridge is ready to use."

Sudhir Shrivastav, Director, Keshav Nagar Welfare Association, said, "The delay is affecting our day-to-day activities. We are constantly stuck in the traffic and have to wait for more than half an hour on each occasion. If the underbridge is functional, it will smooth out the traffic."

Meanwhile, Vijay Kandgave, Executive Engineer, PMRDA, told this newspaper that it will take more time for the underbridge to become operational. He said, "The construction of the underpass is already completed by us, but the approach road from Keshav Nagar is with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), and the other side of the road is with us. Work on our approach road is pending due to some layout modifications. As per the earlier layout, the road had a 90-degree turn which could cause accidents, so we had to change the design. Now it will take another eight days to get the approval for the alignment submission. Once it is done, we will have to start the land acquisition process as the plan is being changed. It will take time; we have to start from the beginning due to some major changes in the plan."