Pune, 13th August 2026: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has hastened its plans for an underground tunnel network connecting Kothrud, Baner and Balewadi, in line with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ vision of developing an extensive underground road system in Pune.
The civic body has now modified its earlier proposal and will focus on a Kothrud–Sutardara to Pashan tunnel, while the previously proposed Patrakar Nagar–Pashan alignment has been dropped.
The tunnel was initially planned under the city’s Development Plan to ease traffic congestion in areas such as Kothrud, Senapati Bapat Road and Anand Rishiji Chowk. The original design included two key stretches: Sutardara to Pashan Panchavati and Patrakar Nagar to Panchavati.
However, environmental concerns led to a revision of the plan. The Panchavati alignment would have required large-scale tree cutting and extensive hill excavation, raising strong objections.
Explaining the change, a senior civic official said, “The earlier alignment was reconsidered due to environmental sensitivity and the need to minimise ecological damage in the hill area.”
As a result, PMC has now shifted the tunnel alignment closer to Loyola School, from where a new Development Plan road will be constructed and connected to Pashan Road.
The proposed Pashan–Patrakar Nagar–Senapati Bapat Road tunnel has also been scrapped due to dense tree cover, major excavation requirements, and the presence of the proposed High Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTR) in the same corridor.
PMC is simultaneously advancing several underground road projects aimed at addressing Pune’s increasing traffic pressure. These include:
Bhosari–Undri tunnel
Bhugaon–Rajaram Bridge tunnel
Hingne–Taljai tunnel
Kothrud–Pashan tunnel
With rapid urbanisation and a sharp rise in private vehicle usage, the city’s road infrastructure has struggled to keep pace. The civic body is now focusing on completing pending Development Plan roads and creating alternative routes to ease congestion.
The long-pending HCMTR project, stalled for nearly 29 years, is also being revived as part of this broader mobility strategy.
PMC is expected to appoint a consultant within a month to prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Kothrud–Pashan tunnel.
Confirming the timeline, Dinkar Gojare, Chief Engineer of PMC’s Project Department, said, “the appointed consultant will complete the DPR within three months, and it is expected to be submitted to the civic body by January or February 2027.”
The revised alignment is expected to significantly reduce hill cutting and tree felling while improving connectivity between Kothrud and Pashan.
