Pune’s long-delayed High Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTR) project is set to move towards implementation, with the Pune Municipal Corporation planning to issue two tenders in the first week of November and begin work soon afterwards, PMC Commissioner Naval Kishor Ram said. The first two phases will cover parts of Sinhagad Road and Viman Nagar, with an estimated cost of ₹2,000 crore for each phase.
The announcement marks a shift for a project that has remained under discussion for nearly four decades. The HCMTR has been proposed as a major route to address congestion on Pune’s increasingly crowded roads, as the city expands in all directions and its population grows faster than its road capacity.
According to the commissioner’s statement, the municipal corporation will borrow funds to undertake the two initial phases. The PMC is also expected to appoint a consultant for the borrowing process, and an advertisement for the appointment was issued last week. The proposed first-stage expenditure is therefore expected to be financed through debt rather than only through the civic body’s regular budgetary resources.
A detailed project report for the HCMTR is expected to be completed by December. The report will provide the basis for further project planning, although the information currently available does not specify the route length, number of junctions, land requirements, construction method or the expected completion date for either phase.
The first two locations are significant because both Sinhagad Road and Viman Nagar are important parts of Pune’s expanding urban network. Sinhagad Road has experienced sustained residential growth and regular traffic pressure, while Viman Nagar is connected to major employment, commercial and transport activity in the eastern part of the city. The PMC has not yet released detailed traffic-management arrangements for construction in these areas.
The HCMTR is being planned alongside a separate ring road proposal around Pune. The two projects are intended to improve movement through and around the city, although their institutional responsibilities, funding structures and implementation schedules are not identical. The report states that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has been pressing for progress on both projects and that meetings are being held at different administrative levels.
For residents, the immediate milestone is the proposed release of the two tenders in November. The subsequent steps will depend on the bidding process, consultant appointment, financing arrangements and completion of the detailed project report. The PMC’s stated schedule places the next formal project document—the HCMTR DPR—in December.
