Pune l Sinhagad Road Gridlock Near Funtime Cinema: 'Take Action Now!' – Madhuri Misal’s Strong Message To PMC Over Encroachments

Just days after the inauguration of the much-awaited Rajaram Bridge to Funtime Cinema flyover, which has significantly eased traffic in the area, traffic congestion continues to persist near Funtime Cinema on Sinhagad Road, drawing the attention of local authorities and elected representatives.

To address the issue, minister Madhuri Misal and Khadakwasla MLA Bhimrao Tapkir conducted an on-site inspection on Thursday to assess the situation firsthand. The inspection focused on traffic bottlenecks near Funtime Cinema.

Misal stated that if the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) takes strict action against illegal encroachments on the service road, the ongoing traffic jam near Funtime Cinema can be effectively resolved.

She also said that the strict instructions regarding the same have been given.

Joining them during the inspection were Additional Police Commissioner Manoj Patil, along with senior officials from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Encroachment Department, and local traffic authorities.

During the visit, discussions were held with concerned officers, and clear instructions were issued to take necessary measures to resolve the traffic problem. The focus included evaluating road widths, regulating roadside parking, and curbing encroachments.

During the inspection, officials identified several key issues contributing to the ongoing traffic congestion near the Funtime junction. These included possible roadside encroachments, which restrict the effective width of the carriageway, as well as design flaws in the road layout that hinder smooth vehicle movement. To address these concerns, discussions were held to explore both immediate solutions—such as stricter parking enforcement and temporary traffic diversions—and long-term measures, including road widening, removal of encroachments, and redesigning junction geometry to ensure better traffic flow in the future.

The traffic woes of Sinhagad Road residents are not seeming to end anytime soon. A week after the road saw a 6-km traffic jam which led to delays of at least 4 hours, the road is seeing a logjam from Dhayari Phata to Veer Baji Pasalkar Chowk every day. Even after the opening of the much-anticipated stretch of the Sinhagad Road flyover, traffic on the road is not easing.

On the very second day after its opening, the Sinhagad Road flyover witnessed traffic snarls. This led to a huge uproar on social media, prompting Additional Commissioner of Police Manoj Patil to visit the site on Saturday. He listed a few bottlenecks on the road that need to be addressed to reduce traffic jams.

Meanwhile, a speed breaker near Funtime Theatre on Sinhagad Road, was identified and removed by the PMC. Additionally, the Corporation initiated the work at Veer Baji Pasalkar Chowk to manage and improve traffic flow on Sinhagad Road, which included removing vehicles from the traffic post, reclaiming the occupied space and removing cylce track, informed PMC official.