Mumbai, July 29 To address the growing traffic congestion in Pune and its surrounding areas, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has written to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, demanding the immediate widening of three key national highways.
The three are National Highway 60 (Nashik Phata to Khed), NH 65 (Hadapsar to Yavat), and NH 548D (Talegaon-Chakan-Shikrapur).
In the letter, Dy CM Pawar highlighted that due to increasing urbanisation and industrial activity, traffic pressure in Pune and its metropolitan region has intensified drastically.
He suggested that NH-60 (currently four lanes) should be widened to six lanes; NH-65 (currently four lanes) should also be upgraded to six lanes, and NH-548D (currently two lanes) needs expansion to four lanes.
Pawar said that these roads pass through areas with educational institutions, industrial zones, residential complexes, hospitals, the petroleum and automobile industries, and major commercial hubs -- all of which contribute to increased vehicular load and traffic snarls. He also raised concerns regarding the safety of commuters due to frequent bottlenecks.
Dy CM Pawar pointed out that the vehicular density on these highways has surpassed permissible limits, and the expansion of lanes is now a critical requirement. Furthermore, the widened highways would serve as alternative routes during the upcoming construction of elevated corridors in the region.
“Since all three highways are linked to Pune city's entry points, vehicles from outer regions are creating severe congestion while entering the city. Therefore, urgent attention and remedial action are necessary. Widening of the Talegaon–Chakan–Shikrapur stretch could temporarily support traffic flow until the final stage of the ongoing elevated highway tender is complete,” he said.
The Deputy CM appealed to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to approve the proposal swiftly and allocate the required funds and administrative clearances to help alleviate the traffic burden in Pune’s rapidly growing industrial corridor.
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