PMRDA Launches ₹156 Crore Road Upgrade to Ease Chakan Traffic Congestion.

In a significant effort to decongest the Chakan industrial belt, the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has received approval to commence ₹156 crore worth of road improvement works in Khed taluka. Officials said the projects are expected to be completed within a year.

The package includes upgrades to seven PMRDA roads worth ₹100.14 crore and five Major District Road (MDR) stretches valued at ₹56.50 crore. The clearance came after PMRDA metropolitan commissioner Yogesh Mhase sought permission from district collector and district election officer Jitendra Dudi to issue work orders during the model code of conduct period. Dudi approved the plan, confirming that all identified stretches lie outside election-bound municipal council and nagar panchayat areas.

Mhase said the PMRDA executive committee had cleared the works and that an agency would soon be appointed to execute the project. “We sought permission because commencement orders were pending due to the code of conduct. These are part of immediate measures to ease pressure in the Chakan belt. The works are planned for completion within a year,” he added.

The project comes amid growing traffic congestion in the area caused by rapid industrial growth, heavy truck movement, and narrow carriageways. The approved plan involves widening existing 3.75-meter stretches to between 5.5 and 10 meters, using concrete or asphalt depending on location, with a 10-year maintenance clause. “Once these seven roadworks are completed, traffic from Chakan industrial area towards Pune city and other regions will have better alternatives,” said an engineer involved in the project.

The initiative has been welcomed by Traffic Mukt Chakan Kriti Samiti, a citizens’ group campaigning to ease Chakan–Shikrapur bottlenecks. “This is a long-pending but very positive step. We are hopeful the rest of the assured works are carried out soon,” said Kunal Kad of the initiative.

Daily commuters expressed optimism over the project. Pravin Shinde, who travels between Chakan and Shikrapur, said, “A short stretch takes over an hour during peak hours. Trucks and buses choke the road. Widening will help immediately.” Another commuter, Meenal Jagtap, added, “Ambulances often get stuck for 30–40 minutes. Timely completion is critical.”