The Pune Municipal Corporation has set a January deadline to open the Vishrantwadi Chowk flyover to traffic, even as construction barricades continue to narrow key roads and complicate the commute towards Lohegaon airport. PMC officials said around 80% of the flyover work is complete, but progress at the main junction remains slow because structures have to be removed before construction can proceed.
The flyover is being built at Vishrantwadi Chowk to help vehicles cross the junction more quickly before descending towards the Tingrenagar-airport road. The project is expected to improve movement towards Lohegaon airport, where traffic currently passes through a junction affected by ongoing construction and reduced carriageway width.
A PMC official said the civic body was preparing plans to relocate structures near the junction and was holding regular discussions with stakeholders to resolve the issue. The official did not specify how many structures would be affected or provide a revised construction schedule for the remaining work.
Construction has occupied considerable road space along the Alandi Road and Tingrenagar-airport road stretches. Commuters said barricading had significantly reduced the available carriageway, making peak-hour travel difficult. The work has been under way for more than a year, according to residents quoted in the report.
PMC is also constructing a grade separator across the junction. The facility will serve vehicles travelling from Alandi towards the Regional Transport Office and Bombay Engineer Group. The civic body said work on the flyover and grade separator was progressing simultaneously, but the two facilities would not be completed at the same time. While the flyover is expected to be ready in January, the grade separator is likely to take another two months and is scheduled for completion by March 2027.
The project design has taken into account the alignment of a proposed Metro viaduct in the area, according to a PMC official. The civic body said it hoped the Metro project would not face hurdles related to the alignment or construction of the flyover and grade separator. No further details on the Metro project’s construction schedule or the agencies responsible for coordinating the works were provided in the report.
The ongoing work has also raised concerns about pedestrian safety at the junction. Piyush Rane, a local resident, said crossing Vishrantwadi Chowk had become particularly risky and urged the administration to resolve land-related issues and complete the work within the stipulated deadlines. The local traffic police branch said additional personnel had been deployed in two shifts to regulate traffic and prevent vehicles from stopping unnecessarily.
The civic standing committee has also approved a separate Rs 76.8 crore proposal for a flyover above the Wakdewadi railway subway. The proposed structure is intended to improve traffic movement between Sakhar Sankul and the old Mumbai-Pune highway. Other approvals reported by the committee included Rs 23.11 crore to PMPML for concessions and discounts on bus passes, along with Rs 9.63 crore for infrastructure improvements under the Vidyavardhini Model Schools project.
The next stated milestone for the Vishrantwadi project is the opening of the flyover in January, followed by the expected completion of the grade separator in March 2027.
