PMC, PMRDA to jointly execute Pune underground tunnel project; alignment under review

Pune: The ambitious underground tunnel project, envisioned to revolutionise the city's traffic flow, will now be jointly executed by the PMC and the PMRDA.Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced that a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be formed to oversee the project, with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) taking the lead as most of the proposed connectivity falls within its limits.The project is part of the CM's "Paatal Lok" vision, which proposes a vast network of underground tunnels to bypass surface-level congestion and drastically improve north-south connectivity.The plan was reviewed during a recent meeting of the Pune Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (PUMTA). Senior officials of Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) noted that while they had previously earmarked Rs7,500 crore for the corridor and appointed a consultant, the project has now evolved into a joint venture."The agency appointed by PMRDA is already preparing the plan. They have now been directed to explore multiple alignment options to ensure the tunnel genuinely reduces congestion in core city areas," a senior PMRDA official said.While the project was originally proposed as a Yerawada–Katraj corridor, officials clarified that the final alignment may change following a detailed technical assessment. The entry and exit points will be determined only after a comprehensive feasibility study is completed.However, the Rs32,000-crore project has faced a recent setback. For the second time, PUMTA members found the consultant's pre-feasibility report inadequate, citing a lack of detailed technical data, robust traffic projections, and sufficient supporting analysis."When we have a project pegged at Rs32,000 crore, it must be backed by solid evidence of public benefit," a senior official who attended the meeting told TOI. "The current report was insufficient. We have directed the consultant to study TomTom traffic reports, consult global experts, and resubmit a more thorough plan."The authorities have instructed the consultant to work closely with the PMC to incorporate findings from third-party traffic studies and modern transport data. During the deliberations, several members raised concerns regarding the project's cost-effectiveness and whether the current estimates for traffic diversion were realistic."Unless a comprehensive and technically sound study is submitted, the project cannot receive a final go-ahead," the official added.The underground corridor aims to link Yerawada in the east to Katraj in the south, bypassing some of the city's most congested bottlenecks. While the project promises to significantly reduce travel time, its final blueprint and execution framework remain under rigorous review.