Pune MLA Siddharth Shirole on Sunday clarified that Fergusson College Road, Jangli Maharaj Road and University Road will be closed to traffic from 12 noon to 4 pm on Monday, January 19, for the prologue stage of the Pune Grand Tour 2026. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Shirole said he had spoken with the Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Manoj Patil, who confirmed the four-hour closure to facilitate the individual time-trial race.
On January 19, F C Road, J M Road, University Road, and the internal routes linking these roads in the city will be shut down for traffic and other activities due to the prologue of the Pune Grand Tour 2026 cycling event. Organised by Pune District administration, in association with the Cycle Federation of India (CFI), the Pune Grand Tour 2026 is a first of its kind UCI 2.2 cycle race with a 437-km track, divided into four stages, from January 19 to January 24.
The prologue, an 8 km time-trial, will begin at Goodluck Chowk and follow a route up to Masobha Gate, turning left towards University Road. Riders will make a U-turn near Cosmos Bank, proceed towards Sancheti, then take a right onto JM Road before concluding at Khandojibaba Chowk.
According to a press release from Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Himmat Jadhav on Saturday, F C Road, J M Road, and University Road will be closed to traffic on January 19 for the Pune Grand Tour prologue. The statement mentioned that vehicles on these roads will be redirected to alternative routes.
The traffic police has issued diversion plans and advised commuters to plan their travel in advance.
Khandoji Baba Chowk to Goodluck Chowk (via Garware Bridge) will be closed; vehicles travelling from Swargate towards Savitribai Phule Pune University or Khadki (old Pune–Mumbai Highway) should use alternate diversion routes as advised by traffic police.
Goodluck Chowk to Lalit Mahal Hotel on FC Road will be closed; traffic will be diverted via Prabhat Road, Law College Road, Bhandarkar Road and Senapati Bapat Road.
University Road stretch from Chapekar Chowk to Range Hills Corner will be closed; vehicles heading towards the SPPU junction will be diverted through alternate connecting routes.
During the cycling event, the road from Ranje Hills chowk to Sancheti hospital, passing through Shimla Office junction, will be shut down. Additionally, the route from Sancheti hospital to Deccan Bus stop, via Balgandharva auditorium on J M road, will be closed to traffic.
Shirole acknowledged the inconvenience to commuters but urged them to plan ahead. He also appealed to residents to support the event and cheer on the cyclists, calling it a rare opportunity for Pune to host an international sporting event and showcase the city globally.
However the announcement of road closures has drawn mixed reactions on social media, with many users criticising the move. One user wrote, “Rather than solving problem of citizens, these event on tax Payers money is increasing their inconvenience…why we are forcefully try to portray picture which doesn't exist. We all know about Pune road infrastructure.”
Another commenter questioned the administration’s track record, saying, “So what's new. When have you been able to manage roads or traffic? Wonder why and how you manage to get elected after zero work.”
