Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday wrote a letter to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari regarding the upgradation and widening of National Highway 60 (Nashik Phata to Khed), National Highway 65 (Hadapsar to Yavat) and National Highway 548D (Talegaon-Chakan-Shikrapur) in Pune district.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief said the three highways pass through areas with high-density development, including educational institutions, industrial zones, residential colonies, hospitals, petroleum units and automobile hubs. However, traffic congestion has been a major problem, he stated.
"The current lane configurations on these sections have exceeded their capacity due to increased traffic volumes, especially during peak hours. This has resulted in severe congestion, impacting the movement of commuters and goods alike. Therefore, there is an urgent requirement to add extra lanes within the existing land width to accommodate peak hour traffic effectively," Pawar wrote.
"We are aware that the proposal for an elevated highway in this corridor is currently under bidding. However, until the contractor for the elevated highway is mobilised and construction begins, the proposed widening will serve as an effective interim solution. It will help ease the existing congestion, improve traffic flow and facilitate traffic diversion during the elevated highway construction, thus minimising disruptions and congestion," he added.
The Dy CM further requested Gadkari to consider and expedite the approval of this proposal and provide immediate relief to the growing traffic problems in Pune's industrial zone.
