Ganeshkhind road widening affects works of 2 metro stations

Pune : The Pune Metro Line 3 project faces a hurdle as the widening of Ganeshkhind Road becomes a point of contention. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is widening the road from the existing 36 meters to 45 meters, aligning with the city’s development plan (DP).

This stands in contrast to the plans put forth by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), which intended to construct two stations on the 36-meter-wide road due to the delays in the widening process.

Implemented through a public-private partnership (PPP), the PMRDA is overseeing the construction of the Pune Metro Line 3 project, spanning from Hinjewadi to Civil Court. This section of the route includes two proposed metro stations: Shivajinagar at Shimla Office Chowk and the RBI office on Ganeshkhind Road.

PMC officials clarify that they have initiated the widening of two segments of Ganeshkhind Road. The first stretch extends from Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) to the RBI Building, while the second, given priority, spans from SPPU to the RBI Building, intended for the PMRDA Metro Line 3 double-decker flyover, leading to Sancheti Chowk. 

The metro station at SPPU is currently under construction, and the segment linking it to the RBI Building compound is 80% complete.

However, work on the next two metro stations on the route, namely Shivajinagar and the RBI office, has not commenced due to challenges associated with the road width.

In response to the road width issue, PMC has advised PMRDA to reconsider the location of the two specified stations in the Pune Metro Line 3 detailed project report (DPR). PMC suggests that these stations should not be constructed on the existing 36-meter-wide road but should be undertaken after the road is widened to 45 meters in adherence to the city’s development plan.

Shreyas Vange