Ganeshkhind Road Flyover’s Baner–Shivajinagar Arm Likely to Open in November
Pune: Daily commuters using Ganeshkhind Road and University Chowk towards Baner and Pashan can soon expect smoother travel. Authorities are preparing to open the Baner–Shivajinagar arm of the new flyover at University Chowk by November, offering some relief from the ongoing traffic congestion in the area.
Officials said the remaining two wings of the flyover, which will serve traffic from Shivajinagar towards Pashan and Baner, are expected to be completed by December. Construction on all three wings has reached its final stage, and teams are working to finish the remaining work as quickly as possible.
This arterial route sees heavy vehicular movement every day, and the full opening of the flyover is expected to ease the persistent traffic jams at University Chowk. Multiple ongoing infrastructure projects have worsened congestion in the area — the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) is executing the flyover project, while the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is carrying out road-widening work to improve traffic flow.
One section of the flyover, catering to vehicles travelling from Aundh towards Shivajinagar, was opened to the public in August this year. However, construction continues on the other wings and connecting ramps.
Regular commuters say that while the operational wing has provided some relief, the full benefits will come only once all routes are open. Vikrant Naik, a frequent traveller between Aundh and Shivajinagar, shared, “During the monsoon, crossing University Chowk was extremely difficult due to slow traffic and diversions. Once all wings of the flyover open, travel times should improve. Commuters are still facing issues while driving from Senapati Bapat Road towards Aundh, Baner, and Pashan, and also from Baner to Shivajinagar.”
Road Widening to Begin from November
Apart from the flyover project, PMC plans to start widening the remaining stretch of Ganeshkhind Road — from RBI Chowk to Sancheti Hospital — beginning November.
According to civic officials, the corporation already owns some land required for the project, while negotiations are in progress with private owners and government departments to acquire about 50 more plots. Earlier, PMC had completed widening the stretch from RBI Chowk to University Chowk.
A regular commuter who uses Ganeshkhind Road urged the authorities to meet their deadlines, saying, “Both PMC and PMRDA should ensure timely completion of the flyover and road-widening work to prevent further inconvenience to the public.”
