Maha govt considers extension of Pune metro line to Khadakwasla

Pune : As Phase 1 of Pune Metro draws to a close, there is an increasing need to expand both the current and proposed routes. The Maharashtra government has made the decision to investigate extending the planned 25.65-kilometer Metro route along Sinhagad Road from Kharadi to Kolhewadi to the Khadakwasla.

There is a desire to expand the route to reach the Khadakwasla dam, which is two kilometers away. The authorities have conducted the site visit. Industry Minister Uday Samant told the Assembly on Wednesday that the state government would decide whether to grant the extension.

According to Uday Samant, the state government has received the comprehensive project report for the original Metro route in Khadakwasla, which runs from Kharadi to Kolhewadi. The Cabinet will then approve and forward the report to the government.

Samant responded to a question from BJP legislator Bhimrao Tapkir by saying that the Cabinet will also accept the Metro route’s extension from Swargate to Katraj and forward it for approval to the central government.

Pune Metro officials have stated that before submitting a supplemental proposal to the state government, a separate detailed project report for the extended route up to the Khadakwasla dam must be prepared.

A senior Pune Metro official stated that the Pune Metro officials visited the site recently to check the feasibility of extending the route to Khadakwasla dam. The extension of the route till the dam has received approval in principle from the authorities.

Regarding the first phase’s completion, which consists of two 33-kilometer stretches (from Vanaz to Ramwadi and PCMC to Swargate), he stated that work has started on the first 24 kilometers and is almost finished on the remaining 9 kilometers.

The Pune Metro official stated that the underground Metro stretch from Shivajinagar to Swargate on the PCMC-Swargate route will be finished by the end of March, while the stretch from Ruby Hall to Ramwadi on the Vanaz-Ramwadi route would be ready by next month.

The central government recently approved the 4.5-km extension from PCMC to Nigdi, and the Pune Metro launched the tender process for its construction on Tuesday. It will take 130 weeks to complete the development process, which will cost Rs 910.18 crore. Four stations will be located along the stretch: Bhakti Shakti Chowk, Akurdi, Nigdi, and Chinchwad.