Kothrud-Pashan tunnel in Pune gets clearance

The construction work on the Kothrud-Pashan tunnel in Pune has been fast tracked with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) clearing the project and the civic body is all set to depute a consultant for fast tracking the project. The decision on constructing the tunnel will be taken once the consultant’s report is ready and that the preliminary work on this project was initiated by the civic administration a few months ago. Earlier, the administration had initiated steps to appoint consultants for the Balbharati-Paud Phata road link proposed along the Law College road hills and there is also a third plan — to connect Sinhagad road to Pune Satara road — by blasting a tunnel through the Taljai Waghjai hill complex. The project aims at reducing hassles of commuters going from Kothrud to Pashan and surrounding areas and that tunnel’s proposal is among few other road projects proposed by the administration along the hills to streamline road traffic.