MLAs flag slow works of 55k-cr Pune ring road

Pune: MLAs have expressed serious concern over the sluggish progress of the Rs 55,000-crore Pune ring road project, stressing that delays could undermine efforts to improve the city's connectivity to major highways. The concerns come even as the long-awaited Missing Link on the Pune-Mumbai expressway is scheduled for inauguration on May 1.MLA Shankar Jagtap, who has repeatedly raised the issue of delays, said while initial setbacks were caused by land acquisition hurdles, the project was now suffering from slow on-ground execution. "Several meetings have been held to push the project forward, as the ring road is vital for linking Pune to key highways. With the Missing Link opening next month, the ring road will be key in decongesting city roads, reducing travel time and ensuring smoother access to highways. There should be no further delay in its implementation," Jagtap said.MLA Siddharth Shirole echoed similar concerns, saying the pace of work remained unsatisfactory. "The ring road is a critical infrastructure project. Once contracts are in place, delays are unacceptable. Any lag will postpone essential connectivity, put additional pressure on existing roads and worsen congestion. MSRDC and the contractors must expedite execution," he said.Nearly a year after contracts were finalised, official progress reports till Feb showed that both the eastern and western alignments were significantly behind schedule, with multiple milestones missed, senior revenue officials said. "While some progress has been recorded in culverts and vehicular underpasses, viaducts and bridges continue to see sluggish movement," a senior MSRDC official told TOI.Officials said non-achievement notices had been issued to contractors. "We are closely monitoring the project to ensure faster progress," the official added.
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