Pune has initiated construction on a long-pending missing link road in Sutarwadi after securing the final parcel of land required for the project, offering long-awaited relief to residents navigating persistent congestion across Pashan, Baner, Balewadi, and surrounding growth corridors. The new 24-metre stretch, located near the Sutarwadi bus depot, is expected to significantly ease local traffic and strengthen access to the Mumbai–Bengaluru Highway, an arterial route for commuters and freight movement.
According to civic officials, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has struggled for years to advance the project due to delays in acquiring roughly 5,000 sq ft of private land. Opposition from landholders and compensation disagreements had caused repeated stoppages. The impasse was recently resolved, enabling the administration to formally take possession of the land and begin roadwork. Officials noted that the link road is part of a wider mobility initiative aimed at completing missing connections across the municipal area to enable smoother intra-city travel. Residents have voiced concerns for years over narrow internal roads and frequent bottlenecks near Shivmandir Chowk, where traffic slows considerably during peak hours. Local commuters said the congestion has worsened as Baner, Balewadi, Pashan, and Sus continue to expand as residential and commercial hubs. A commuter from Sutarwadi explained that inadequate road width and continuous inflow of vehicles create daily delays, describing the conditions as a recurring “peak-hour gridlock”.
The upcoming link road is expected to function as an alternative route to the highway, reducing the volume of heavy vehicles moving through dense neighbourhood streets. Residents in Pashan pointed out that the proximity of their neighbourhoods to the highway attracts continuous freight traffic, affecting both safety and air quality. Urban planners highlight that resolving last-mile road gaps is essential for shaping more accessible, low-emission urban mobility networks that support walkability and equitable transport access. PMC officials confirmed that the Sutarwadi road is among 33 missing links prioritised for immediate action. The city currently has 459 kilometres of incomplete or discontinuous link roads, of which 678 individual stretches require construction or widening. Work on four of these links—in Karvenagar, Kothrud, Baner, and Yerawada—has already been completed. A multisector task force comprising PMC engineers, district authorities, revenue officials, and town planners is also being set up to address bottlenecks more efficiently and coordinate interventions across agencies.
Urban mobility experts note that bridging missing links is a fundamental step towards building more sustainable and equitable transport systems in rapidly urbanising regions like western Pune. Ensuring that key corridors support smoother traffic, safer pedestrian movement, and reduced emission hotspots aligns with broader ambitions for environmentally resilient Indian cities. The Sutarwadi link road is expected to be completed within the coming months, with officials emphasising that timely execution is critical to reducing congestion and improving connectivity for thousands of daily commuters.
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