Pune, 30th September 2026: Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) plans to begin work on two stretches of the long-awaited High Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMT) in November. The 43-km elevated corridor, proposed to ease traffic congestion has been pending for nearly 40 years.
However, the proposed construction timeline has raised questions as the detailed project report (DPR) is expected to be completed only by December.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed the administration to complete the project within the next two-and-a-half years. The PMC has appointed TPF Engineering Pvt. Ltd. as the consultant to prepare the DPR, which is currently under preparation.
A meeting to review the project was held on September 29, attended by PMC Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, House Leader Ganesh Bidkar and senior civic officials.
The first stretch will cover approximately 10 km, starting near the Pu La Deshpande Garden and Navshya Maruti Temple on Sinhagad Road. The route will pass through Sarasbaug Khandoba Temple, cross the canal and continue through Nala Garden towards Volga Chowk.
From there, the HCMT corridor will proceed along Satara Road through Bibwewadi Chowk and Gangadham Chowk to Lullanagar.
The stretch will include an elevated road with provision for a metro corridor. The metro route from Volga Chowk will continue towards Hadapsar, while the HCMT corridor will extend towards Lullanagar.
The second stretch will cover approximately 12 km, starting behind Phoenix Marketcity in Viman Nagar. It will pass along the New Airport Road, behind Aero Mall, and through 509 Chowk, the Open Prison and Vishrantwadi Chowk before reaching Bombay Sappers.
An elevated flyover is planned at Vishrantwadi Chowk, with separate space reserved for the metro corridor. The design will allow both the HCMT and metro routes to pass through the junction without obstructing each other.
PMC Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram said construction would be prioritised on stretches where municipal roads already exist. He said, "Although the DPR is expected to be completed in December, there will not be much difference between the earlier DPR and the revised one. We will prioritise construction at locations where PMC roads already exist."
House Leader Ganesh Bidkar said the state government would grant the PMC permission to carry out work on land under its control. He said, "To speed up the HCMT project, the PMC will be allowed to begin work on land owned by the state government. The Chief Minister will issue a single order covering various departments. The issue of land owned by the Central Government will also be resolved."
The PMC aims to accelerate the project by starting work on the two identified stretches while completing the remaining planning and approval procedures.
