Pune: To curb increasing traffic bottlenecks, the Pune Municipal Corporation set December 2026 as the deadline to open the Vishrantwadi flyover and grade separator at Mukundrao Ambedkar Chowk, popularly known as Vishrantwadi Junction, and March 2027 as the deadline to complete the proposed flyover and grade separator at Shastrinagar Chowk.

PMC chief Naval Kishore Ram (in blue) inspected Vishrantwadi flyover site (above) on Thursday and set December 2026 as deadline. He also visited proposed Shastrinagar flyover site and set March 2027 as deadline for completion. (HT)

The Vishrantwadi project is expected to ease congestion at Vishrantwadi Junction and improve traffic movement towards Pune airport, Alandi Road, Dhanori, Lohegaon and Nagar Road. However, the project has been plagued by obstructions from temple structures, utility shifting and roadside encroachments from the beginning.

PMC commissioner Naval Kishore Ram inspected the project site on Thursday and directed officials and the contractor to remove the key hurdles within a month.

The project was originally scheduled for completion by March 2026. According to civic officials, the grade separator on the Alandi Road-Airport Road stretch faces obstruction from parts of the Rameshwar Sheth Ganpati temple and the Mahalakshmi Devi temple and encroachments by hawkers and vendors.

Ram directed the concerned agencies, landowners and contractor to resolve the issues within a month. “The project must be completed within the deadline. All departments must coordinate so that the flyover and grade separator can open to traffic by December,” Ram said.

Ram also conducted a ground visit to review the proposed Shastranagar flyover project and set March 2027 as the deadline for completion.

“The project needs to be executed at speed while ensuring traffic safety and coordination with all concerned departments. The grade separator should be completed within four months and the entire project by March 2027,” Ram said.

Once completed, the project is expected to ease congestion on Nagar Road and improve traffic movement towards Kalyaninagar, Gunjan Chowk, Golf Chowk and Mumbai.

Corporators Ashwini Landge, Avinash Salve and Vishal Malke, additional municipal commissioner Omprakash Divate, city engineer Aniruddha Pawaskar, and chief engineers Dinkar Gojare (projects), Rajesh Bankar (roads) and Nandkishor Jagtap (water supply were present during the inspection.