123Pune.com

Pune, May 14: TO ease out traffic congestion in the chowk near Wakad police chowky, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has asked for help from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to build a flyover exclusively for Pune-Mumbai traffic.

According to PCMC officials, the suggested flyover — around 500-metre long — will start from Wakad police chowky. “The Corporation has requested NHAI to build a flyover at the chowk of Wakad police chowky in wake of frequent traffic snarls reported there,” said PCMC deputy engineer Vishal Kamble.
Kamble said that the flyover would be based on the lines of an existing flyover at Tilak Chowk in Nigdi, which is meant exclusively for Pune-Mumbai traffic. He said the traffic will then effectively move in both directions without having facing obstacles of traffic signals. “The Pune-Mumbai traffic will continue to move using the flyover while the local traffic will move below the flyover following traffic signals,” Kamble said. According to designs by PCMC, the width of flyover should be 200 metres at each end and around 50 metres in the middle.

Confirming the move, NHAI project director P D Arora said they have received the proposal. “We have sent it to our headquarters. An acceptance is awaited,” he said. He further added that an existing flyover — between Wakad and Hinjewadi — across the National Highway at Wakad has developed some technical problems. “There are provisions for traffic towards Hinjewadi. However, there are no mechanism for traffic for Mumbai from Hinjewadi,” he pointed out.

While there have been no expenditure estimates checked out, the PCMC is waiting for a reply from NHAI. “After the proposal receives a nod, the revenue estimates will be decided,” Kamble said.

Presently, the chowks of Wakad and Wakad police chowky on the Mumbai-Pune old national highway are facing huge traffic snarls. Moreover, officials claim that motorists hardly use Wakad-Hinjewadi flyover.

Source:PUNE Newsline