PMC to appoint consultant to upgrade underpasses in Khadki and Range Hills | Pune News - The Times of India

Pune: Long-pending proposals to widen existing rail underpasses in Khadki and Range Hills areas are set to gather pace, with PMC deciding to appoint a consultant for the project.The administration has also formally approached the Ministry of Defence to acquire the land necessary for expansion. Daily commutes through these underpasses have become increasingly difficult for road users. The underpass near the Khadki police station is in poor condition and struggles to handle the volume of traffic, while the facility near Government Hatcheries Chowk is limited to a single lane, causing long queues on both sides. Although the proposal to increase vehicle capacity at these spots has been under consideration for years, it remained stalled despite a series of meetings between the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), cantonment boards, and railway authorities. PMC officials confirmed that momentum was finally building. Preliminary designs for the widening work have been prepared, and correspondence with the railways has been initiated. Officials stated that the widening of the underpass near Range Hills-Government Hatcheries Chowk was being taken up on priority. Once completed, the project is expected to decentralise traffic movement and reduce the load on the Shivajinagar and Bopodi underpasses. Commuters have long demanded that the administration either widen the underpasses or construct a rail overbridge to streamline movement. "Road users face constant traffic chaos at these points," said Anup Kumar, a resident of Bopodi. "The existing underpasses were constructed five to six decades ago and need urgent upgradation. At least two more lanes should be added to the facilities to handle current traffic levels." Local MLA Siddharth Shirole said the PMC and cantonment boards have been urged to treat these projects as a priority. Shirole noted that while there are technical challenges at both locations, the authorities have been directed to prepare comprehensive plans to ensure smoother vehicular passage. In addition to the Khadki and Range Hills projects, PMC is also working on a plan to widen the rail underpass located near RTO Chowk.