Pune, 28th July 2026: Long-delayed transport infrastructure projects in the city received a major boost after the first meeting of the high-level committee chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai.
The committee reviewed the progress of the High Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTR), the PMRDA Ring Road and the proposed underground tunnel network aimed at easing the city's growing traffic congestion.
Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, Minister of State Madhuri Misal, Pune Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner Vijay Suryavanshi, PMRDA Commissioner Abhijit Chaudhari, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, Pimpri Chinchwad Police Commissioner Vinay Kumar Choubey and other senior officials attended the meeting, where presentations on all three projects were made.
The Chief Minister directed officials to complete the 43.60-km High Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTR) by 2028, saying the project is expected to reduce traffic congestion in Pune by 25–30 percent while connecting all metro corridors and improving road capacity.
To speed up execution, he instructed various state government departments to transfer their land required for the project to the Pune Municipal Corporation free of cost.
Around 30 percent of the required land belongs to state departments, while nearly half of the proposed corridor already has a 24-metre-wide road in place. He also asked officials to prepare a financial model to secure funding for the project.
Originally proposed in Pune's 1987 Development Plan, the HCMTR has remained incomplete for decades. Earlier attempts to implement the project were delayed after tenders were cancelled because the bids were around 45 percent higher than the estimated cost.
Reviewing the 83.12-km PMRDA Inner Ring Road, which passes through 44 villages, the Chief Minister directed officials to complete the project approval and planning process within the next six to seven months.
He also instructed authorities to speed up land acquisition by offering cash compensation to landowners instead of delaying the process.
The meeting also reviewed the proposed underground tunnel network, popularly referred to as the Patal Lok Project.
The largest proposal includes a 36-km corridor from Bhosari to Undri and the proposed Purandar International Airport, comprising 26 km of underground tunnels and 10 km of elevated road. Other proposed tunnels include an 8-km Ramnadi–Bhugaon to Rajaram Bridge tunnel and a 1.65-km Taljai Hill to Padmavati–Hingne tunnel.
The Chief Minister instructed officials to carry out a detailed technical survey of all tunnel alignments with the help of expert agencies before the project moves ahead to ensure feasibility and long-term safety.
The state government believes that the combined implementation of the HCMTR, Ring Road and underground tunnel projects will significantly improve traffic movement across Pune, strengthen connectivity between major corridors and support the city's future transport needs.
The Chief Minister directed all concerned departments to coordinate closely and expedite the execution of these long-pending infrastructure projects.