Team siliconindia

• New Y-shaped flyover planned from Agriculture College Junction to Wakadewadi to reduce traffic at Shimla, Sancheti, and Agriculture Chowks.
• Will ease movement for vehicles heading to Mumbai, Ahmednagar, and Alandi, bypassing crowded junctions.
• Project uses government-owned land and avoids damaging green cover through careful alignment.

In a major move to ease traffic congestion in central Pune, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has proposed a Y-shaped flyover connecting Agriculture College Junction to Wakadewadi. The planned structure is aimed at decongesting three of the city’s busiest junctions Shimla Office Chowk, Sancheti Chowk, and Agriculture College Junction which act as key connectors between the old city areas and the Old Mumbai-Pune highway.

According to PMC officials, the junctions experience massive traffic snarls as vehicles from Satara Road, Sinhagad Road, Solapur Road, and Swargate, as well as Karve Road and Ganeshkhind Road, all converge at the Agriculture College Junction. Additionally, vehicles from Fergusson College Road and Ganeshkhind Road heading towards Shimla Chowk add to the congestion. The problem is further compounded by the close proximity of the Shivajinagar railway station, the state transport (ST) bus stand, and the PMPML city bus terminal.

Dinkar Gojare, in-charge of PMC’s Traffic Management Department, said over 600 ST buses operate on this route daily, contributing significantly to the traffic burden. “These buses, along with those from Swargate heading towards Ahmednagar and Mumbai, pass through these highly congested junctions. The proposed flyover will allow them to bypass these points entirely”, he said.

The flyover will begin at Agriculture College Junction, pass through Sakhar Sankul, and split into two branches one heading towards the Old Mumbai-Pune highway and the other towards Ahmednagar Road and Alandi Road. An additional branch at Sakhar Sankul will provide access for vehicles coming from the Shivajinagar transport hubs and the old city, offering a direct route to Mumbai or Ahmednagar.

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Importantly, Gojare emphasized that land acquisition will not be a hurdle as the required land belongs to various government departments. The project is also expected to preserve existing green spaces. “The alignment of the flyover has been carefully planned to avoid disturbing the tree cover”, he said.

The flyover is expected to significantly streamline traffic flow in central Pune, improve connectivity to major highways, and enhance commute efficiency for both public and private transport users.