2 weeks Ago By Gitesh Shelke
Pune: A Metro pillar in front of Hotel Mahabaleshwar on the busy Baner Road has become a huge hurdle for daily commuters as it occupies a major portion of the carriageway's width, resulting in regular traffic jams. Only a single lane is available for motorists on the road owing to the pillar work. The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) is constructing two pillars at the spot for the Shivajinagar-Hinjewadi Metro line .
One of the pillars is in the middle of the road, while the other is near the road, on the bank of Ram Nadi. Area residents said the pillar on the left side of the road was causing trouble for them to manoeuvre their vehicles during the peak traffic hours. "We regularly get stuck in the traffic while heading towards University junction near Mahabaleshwar Hotel.
The traffic police must do something to curb the chaos," Mukund Yamal of Aundh, who works with a software firm at Katraj-Dehu Road Bypass, said. Senior PMRDA officials told TOI that the subject pier was positioned to avoid interfering with the Ram Nadi riverbank and the existing culvert abutment. "There are also many utility lines and right-of-way restrictions at the site.
These issues were discussed among the concessionaire, TPL, PMC and PMRDA, and the land plans were approved for construction. Before construction started, similar issues raised by the National Green Tribunal on the Maha Metro project were also considered, as those had led to severe delays. Dismantling and relocating the completed pier is not possible, as there is no available alternate location for pier PP16/G within the right-of-way, and the substructure work is already finished.
Further possibilities for this seem difficult," a senior official said. The city traffic police confirmed of receiving a large number of calls regarding the regular traffic jams at the spot after the pillar was constructed. Following this, the police studied the issue and wrote a letter to PMRDA officials earlier this week.
Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar on Tuesday also wrote a letter to the PMRDA officials requesting them to look into the issue. When contacted, additional commissioner of police Manoj Patil said, "The traffic jam is occurring because a carriage width of only 7.5 metres is available for the motorists between the two pillars, and the left side pillar, near the Ram Nadi, has eaten away the carriage width.
" "The road was 12 metres wide, and it has been reduced substantially, which is resulting in traffic jams. Thus, we have written a letter to the PMRDA authorities to look into the issue," Patil said. "If neglected, it will cause permanent damage to the mobility on the road," he said.
TOI on Tuesday visited the site, and the employees at the site said the work on pillar ‘16GL' had been halted owing to some reasons. "We don't know what the issue is," a worker said..
