PUNE: Pune is attempting a complex piece of urban infrastructure planning as its Metro network and the proposed 36-km High Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTR) will intersect or run along the same alignment at more than 20 locations.To avoid one project obstructing the other, civic and Metro authorities have decided that the Metro viaduct will generally pass above the HCMTR road at these points.The decision was taken at a joint meeting of senior Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Maha Metro officials last week.The two agencies will prepare joint execution plans for the stretches where the Metro and HCMTR intersect or run in tandem.Officials will also conduct joint inspections at all the locations to determine how the two projects will be designed and executed without affecting each other.The development comes as the civic administration has given a fresh push to the HCMTR project, which has been under discussion for more than three decades.
HCMTR project gets fresh push
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had on July 28 directed officials to expedite the HCMTR, internal ring road and proposed tunnel network projects to address Pune’s traffic congestion.Officials had said the HCMTR would have connectivity with Metro lines and could reduce road traffic by nearly 30%. The CM had set a 2028 target for completion of the project.A special purpose vehicle comprising PMC and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) was also proposed to raise funds and execute the HCMTR and Pune inner ring road projects.The government had also decided to provide 30% government land free to PMC for the HCMTR project.With the two projects now set to cross or share alignments at more than 20 locations, PMC and Maha Metro are expected to hold a series of joint meetings and inspections to finalise the designs for these stretches.
