Pune plans Pashan Circle widening as PMC targets chronic traffic congestion

The Pune Municipal Corporation is examining a series of measures to ease chronic congestion at Pashan Circle, including widening the junction and adjoining road stretches and creating an alternative road link.

The civic road department has conducted site inspections to assess the existing conditions and identify land parcels that may need to be acquired for the proposed expansion.

Local corporators Mayuri Kokate and Ratnamala Satav have also submitted a detailed traffic improvement blueprint to the PMC standing committee.

The proposal calls for immediate allocation of funds and expedited acquisition of land required for the widening works.

Pashan Circle and the surrounding gaothan area have emerged as major traffic bottlenecks, with congestion increasing alongside residential and commercial development in nearby Sus and Bavdhan, reported The Times of India.

“During peak hours, even a minor vehicle breakdown or accident triggers massive traffic snarls, with queues stretching up to 1.5km on either side. Schoolchildren are often caught in the gridlock, while officegoers routinely face long delays,” IT professional Sandip Desai, who works in Sus area, said.

Kokate said the traffic plan would rely on several interventions.

“The proposal advocates constructing a grade separator to reduce the concentration of vehicles at the junction, widening the existing chowk, and developing a traffic island to ensure smoother vehicular movement,” she said.

The proposed grade separator is intended to reduce the concentration of vehicles entering the junction, while widening would increase the available road space.

Kokate has also proposed an alternative road link connecting **Nimhan Mala and Someshwarwadi**. The route is expected to divert some traffic away from the existing Pashan corridor.

Residents have pointed to the sharp increase in traffic volumes in the area over recent years.

Road widening on Sus Road has already been undertaken, but parts of the Pashan belt remain relatively narrow.

Defence and government establishments in the area also limit the availability of land for large-scale widening.

Resident Rajesh Nimhan said the location of such establishments had constrained expansion.

Vishal Doke, a resident of Sus Road, said the road narrowed abruptly near Pashan Circle.

“With govt and defence establishments on both sides, the administration must address road widening in the Pashan area to ease commuter congestion,” he said.

Vinay Joshi, a frequent commuter, said the entire gaothan road should be widened or a parallel route developed.

“People cannot afford to waste time in traffic jams due to an inadequate road network,” he said.

The PMC will now need to examine the proposed alignments, identify land requirements and assess the costs before the projects can move towards implementation.

The proposed measures are intended to address traffic movement at the junction while also improving connectivity between Pashan, Sus and adjoining areas.