Pune News: Katraj-Kondhwa Road Widening Misses June Deadline Again; PMC Extends Completion Target To March
Pune News: Katraj-Kondhwa Road Widening Misses June Deadline Again; PMC Extends Completion Target To March
Pune, July 19, 2026: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has once again failed to meet its deadline for the long-delayed Katraj-Kondhwa Road widening project, prompting the administration to push the completion target to March next year.
In March, while presenting the civic budget, Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram had announced that land acquisition would be completed by the end of May and that the widened road would be opened to traffic by the end of June. However, with July already underway, land acquisition for several properties remains incomplete, while construction on the acquired stretches is still unfinished.
The delay has worsened commuting conditions during the monsoon, with large potholes making the road hazardous for motorists and pedestrians. Residents, who have endured years of traffic congestion, dust, potholes, and slow-paced construction, now face yet another extension in the project’s timeline.
The repeated failure to meet announced deadlines has also raised questions about the PMC’s execution of the project, with many citizens expressing frustration over the administration’s inability to provide a satisfactory explanation for the delays.
Project Delayed Since 2017
The widening of the approximately 3.5-kilometre stretch between Katraj and Khadi Machine Chowk, one of Pune’s busiest arterial roads, began in 2017. The project was originally planned to widen the road to 84 metres, but persistent hurdles in land acquisition, planning issues, and administrative delays forced the PMC to scale down the first phase to a 50-metre-wide road.
Land Acquisition Still Incomplete
For the first phase of the project, the PMC requires 109 properties. While civic officials claim that 84 properties have been acquired, land acquisition for the remaining 25 properties is still pending.
According to the administration, technical challenges related to land acquisition through Transferable Development Rights (TDR) and Floor Space Index (FSI), property owners’ demands for cash compensation, and changes in government policy have repeatedly slowed the project.
Although PMC officials say land acquisition has gained momentum since April, residents argue that little visible progress has been made on the ground. With the latest deadline now shifted to March, commuters remain uncertain about when the crucial road widening project will finally be completed.
