First Metro pier on Pimpri-Swargate route erected; no let up in congestion

Pimpri Chinchwad: Mahametro erected the first pier for the elevated portion of the Pimpri-Swargate Metro route from Pimpri to Dapodi. However, traffic congestion on the Pune-Mumbai highway is not likely to ease anytime soon, because it will take at least one more year to erect the other piers for the Metro on this route. Incidentally, the first pier was erected about six months after the construction work had started.

The Pimpri-Swargate Metro route, with a total length of 16.589 km, will connect Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. While an 11.57 km stretch of the route will be elevated, the remaining 5 km stretch will be underground. Nearly 8 km of the elevated stretch, from Pimpri to Harris bridge (Dapodi), lies within the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) limits. This elevated route starts from near the Ahilyabai Holkar chowk and goes along the PCMC main office building to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar chowk. It then takes a right turn to use the median in the grade separator from Kharalwadi to Kasarwadi station.

Sandeep Kale, a resident of Chinchwad, said, "The entire grade separator is closed from Nashik Phata chowk to Kharalwadi in the afternoon. As a result, people have to use the service road where vehicles move slowly. One lane of the grade separator, on each side of the highway, must be kept open for vehicular movement during the afternoon as well. The grade separator must be kept closed to vehicular traffic from 11 pm to 7 am."

Arun Mane, a resident of Nigdi said, "Small red lights and red ribbon lights have been installed on barricades for Metro work on the grade separator. Their illumination is too less. They must be replaced by bigger blinkers or red lights."

Reacting to the complaints, a Mahametro official said, "We have permission to keep all four lanes of grade separator closed to vehicular traffic throughout the day. But we are keeping only one closed on each side for the benefit of commuters from 11 am to 5 pm, and 11 pm to 5 am. We cannot keep all the lanes of the grade separator open for traffic all day long, as the work needs to be conducted during the day for safety issues. Minor work is conducted at night."