Pune: PMC has been urged to widen a road near Ekalavya College in Kothrud to address frequent traffic jams, with the stretch witnessing a massive increase in vehicular flow after the development of a missing link connecting to Mumbai–Bengaluru highway nearby.Local corporators have pushed the civic administration to take up this work, with a proposal already tabled before the City Improvement Committee (CIC) and standing committee. Elected representatives said commuters from Kothrud, Warje, Bavdhan and surrounding areas will get relief if the road is widened. Residents further said authorities should ensure that illegal parking on this road is tackled stringently to enable better utilisation of the carriageway.“If developed properly, this stretch will also help reduce traffic congestion on Paud Road. The roads connecting to both sides of this stretch are much wider, creating a bottleneck here,” said local corporator Dilip Vede-Patil.As per the proposal, the route from Bharat Ratna Maharshi Karve Memorial to Shantivan Chowk in old Kothrud limits was planned to be developed as a 36m-wide road in Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) 1987 development plan (DP). However, in the DP for 23 villages merged into PMC, continuation of the same road in newly merged Kothrud limits is shown as only 15m wide. This discrepancy between the existing road width in the old limits and proposed road width in the subsequent section is a serious matter from the perspective of future traffic planning, said residents.The proposal has added that considering the growing population and vehicular count in Kothrud, as well as the daily traffic congestion on Paud Road, it is necessary to develop the entire road from Shantivan Chowk–Ekalavya College to the national highway to a width of 36m. Once this is done, it will reduce traffic pressure on Paud Road and provide citizens with an alternative route towards Chandni Chowk and the highway.“PMC has spent a large amount of funds on the Chandni Chowk Traffic Improvement Project. Against this backdrop, proper planning of alternative routes leading towards Chandni Chowk is also essential. Maintaining the said road’s width at only 15m will not be appropriate from the perspective of future urban planning and traffic systems,” said Rohini Chimte, another corporator.Residents said the road’s narrow width and lack of footpaths have made it accident-prone, calling its widening the need of the hour. “Traffic jams are severe here, especially during peak hours. Commuters spend a lot of time travelling via this stretch. If this bottleneck is resolved, it will bring great relief,” said Ashwini Pathak, a regular commuter on this route.Citizens added that educational institutes, shopping complexes, and eateries are located along this stretch, which increases traffic volume and vehicle parking. They demanded that traffic police personnel be stationed at the location to manage the daily chaos.
