Pune: PMC Begins Preliminary Works for Shastrinagar Chowk Flyover Project

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has initiated preliminary works for the ‘Y’-shaped flyover and grade separator at Shastrinagar Chowk, aimed at alleviating traffic congestion on Ahmednagar Road. According to officials, actual construction is slated to begin in September.

Currently, consultants are involved in planning, conducting traffic surveys, and performing soil testing based on the Detailed Project Report (DPR). Abhijit Ambekar, executive engineer of the special projects department, stated, “The project was planned four years ago, but now the situation on the ground has changed. Therefore, the consultant is updating the old flyover and grade separator design.”

He added, “In the old design, we needed to widen the road due to the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route lane. However, the Ahmednagar Road BRT has been dismantled on this stretch, giving us 7 meters of land for the flyover, so there is no need for road widening.”

Ambekar further mentioned, “Currently, we are considering a Y-shaped flyover and grade separator at Shastrinagar Chowk. However, the consultant will suggest more designs, and PMC will finalise one of them.”

The initial plan for Shastrinagar Chowk included a flyover and subway to ease traffic. However, due to the proximity of the historical Aga Khan Palace, PMC needed a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Archaeology Survey of India (ASI). On April 5, 2024, an audio-visual presentation was made to the National Monuments Authority in Delhi to obtain the required approval. Subsequently, the central and state archaeology departments granted the NOC, allowing the project to proceed.