Pune Underground Tunnel, HCMTR and Inner Ring Road Projects Get Major Push as State Forms High-Level Panel
Pune Underground Tunnel, HCMTR and Inner Ring Road Projects Get Major Push as State Forms High-Level Panel
10 July, 2026: The Maharashtra government has constituted a high-level committee, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, to accelerate the planning and execution of three major transport infrastructure projects in Pune: the proposed underground tunnel network, the High Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTR), and the Pune Inner Ring Road.
The committee has been established to streamline coordination among various government departments and speed up approvals related to funding, land acquisition, and project implementation. An executive committee, headed by the Pune Municipal Commissioner, will oversee the day-to-day execution of these projects.
The high-level panel comprises both Deputy Chief Ministers, the Chief Secretary, senior officials from the Urban Development, Finance, Revenue, Forest and Environment departments, along with elected representatives and municipal commissioners from Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. Officials from PMRDA, PCMC, and the police department will also be part of the executive committee.
The committee will supervise three key infrastructure initiatives aimed at transforming Pune’s transport network. These include a proposed 64-km underground tunnel network across five corridors to ease road congestion, a 36-km High Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTR) designed to improve connectivity with Pune Metro and major roads, and the 86-km Pune Inner Ring Road, planned by PMRDA to connect suburban areas with state and national highways while reducing traffic within the city.
According to the state government, Pune’s rapid growth as a hub for education, information technology, healthcare, and industry has led to increasing pressure on its transport infrastructure due to rising population and vehicle ownership.
The government also noted that roads account for only about 9 per cent of Pune’s total land area, significantly below national and international benchmarks. It said these large-scale infrastructure projects are essential to develop an integrated urban mobility network and support the city’s future growth.
