Pune Traffic Alert: Major Road Closures and Diversions for ‘Pune Grand Challenge Tour’ on Jan 19
Pune, January 18, 2026: The Pune City Traffic Police has issued the latest comprehensive traffic advisory in view of the “Pune Grand Challenge Tour” cycling competition scheduled to take place in the city. Organized by the District Administration and the Cycling Federation of India (CFI), the event will see major arterial roads being converted into vehicle-free zones to ensure the safety of participants.
The prologue of the competition is set for January 19, 2026. Consequently, traffic flow on several key roads, including Fergusson College (FC) Road, University Road, and Jangli Maharaj (JM) Road, will be restricted or diverted between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM.
However, MLA Siddharth Shirole had earlier written on ‘X’, “Important Update on Road Closures | Pune Grand Tour – Prologue Stage 12 Noon – 4:00 PM only.”
Since this current traffic advisory comes after that tweet by MLA Shirole, it is better to go by the traffic police advisory as per the following tweet on X.
🛑 पुणे शहरांमध्ये १९ जानेवारी ते २४जानेवारी २०२६ रोजी होणाऱ्या "पुणे ग्रँड चॅलेंज टूर "प्रोग्रॅम निमित्ताने वाहतुकीमध्ये खालील प्रमाणे बदल करण्यात आलेले आहेत… pic.twitter.com/hwyCHawKzH
— पुणे शहर वाहतूक पोलीस (@PuneCityTraffic) January 18, 2026
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Himmat Jadhav, stated that the restrictions are essential for the smooth conduct of the event. Emergency vehicles, such as fire brigades, police vans, and ambulances, are exempted from these orders.
पुण्यामध्ये आयोजित करण्यात आलेल्या @PuneGrandTour च्या पार्श्वभूमीवर करण्यात आलेले वाहतूक व्यवस्थेतील बदल अपर पोलीस आयुक्त मनोज पाटील समजावून सांगत आहेत.#PuneGrandTour #BajajPuneGrandTour #CyclingEvent pic.twitter.com/sVAxYTFogg
— पुणे शहर वाहतूक पोलीस (@PuneCityTraffic) January 17, 2026
Key Road Closures and Alternate Routes
The following stretches will be closed to regular traffic, and commuters are advised to use the suggested alternate routes:
| Affected Stretch | Closed Section | Suggested Alternate Routes |
| Khandoji Baba Chowk to Goodluck Chowk | Khandoji Baba Chowk to Garware Bridge to Goodluck Chowk | Vehicles from Swargate to University should proceed via Annabhau Sathe Chowk – Mhatre Bridge – Nal Stop – Paud Phata. |
| Goodluck Chowk to Chafekar Chowk (FC Road) | Goodluck Chowk to Tukaram Maharaj Paduka Chowk to Chafekar Chowk | Use Shelar Mama Chowk – Prabhat Road – Law College Road – Senapati Bapat Road. |
| Chafekar Chowk to Range Hills Corner | Chafekar Chowk to Range Hills Corner (U-Turn) | Use University Road – S.B. Road Junction – Bremen Chowk or Aundh Road. |
| Range Hills Corner to Sancheti Chowk | Range Hills to Simla Office Chowk to Sancheti Chowk | Use Vidyapeeth Chowk – S.B. Road – Nal Stop or Natwadi Road via Wakdewadi underpass. |
| Sancheti Hospital to Deccan Bus Stand | Sancheti Chowk to Balgandharv to Deccan Gymkhana | Use Sadalbaba Chowk – Parnakuti – RTO Chowk or Khadki – Poultry Chowk – Bremen Chowk. |
No-Parking Zone
The authorities have also declared the entire route of the Pune Grand Challenge Tour prologue as a “No-Parking Zone” on both sides of the road for the duration of the event. Residents and visitors are requested to refrain from parking any vehicles on the competition tracks to avoid towing and penalties.
Commuters are requested to plan their journeys in advance and cooperate with the traffic police to avoid congestion in the central parts of the city.
For more live updates on Pune, visit our Pune News Today page.
