The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to widen a long-pending stretch of the main Aundh Road, located ahead of Bremen Chowk and leading towards the Rajiv Gandhi bridge. This initiative aims to eliminate the bottleneck caused by the narrow carriageway, which has been a persistent issue for commuters.
Heritage Structures to Be Relocated
Three heritage structures dating back to the British era, situated along this stretch, will be dismantled and shifted to new locations to facilitate the road widening. The PMC has floated tenders for both the road widening and the careful dismantling of these structures. Stone and wooden materials from the structures have been numbered to aid in their reconstruction at a new site within the police housing area in Aundh.
A civic official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated, "In the first phase, the structures will be dismantled properly according to markings on the stones. The civic administration will seek guidance from experts to avoid damaging the construction materials. The reconstruction will be taken up in the second phase."
Impact on Traffic
Once the structures are removed, the road will be widened to 36 meters, adding an extra lane. This is expected to reduce vehicle bunching and ease congestion for regular commuters, who have long awaited this widening. While other parts of Aundh Road have already been widened, the stretch from the MSRTC bus stop towards Bhimsen Joshi auditorium and Rajiv Gandhi bridge remained pending due to the heritage structures.
Khadki Rail Underpasses to Be Widened
In a related development, the widening of two rail underpasses in Khadki is set to move forward. The PMC's standing committee has approved the appointment of a consultant for the project, which has been under consideration for two years. Multiple meetings between the PMC, Khadki Cantonment Board, and the railway administration have been held to advance the proposal. The existing underpasses are inadequate for the daily vehicle flow due to their narrow widths.
