PUNE (Metro Rail News): Maharashtra Chief Minister Shri. Devendra Fadnavis has encouraged authorities to conduct a feasibility study of twin tunnels at Dive Ghat for metro and road corridors that will facilitate connectivity to the upcoming Purandar International Airport. He made the announcement while laying the foundation stones for three major road corridors in Pune district.
As the land acquisition process of Purandar International Airport is in progress, authorities are exploring the feasibility of metro connectivity to the upcoming airport.
The proposed metro line will pass through the steep and winding Dive Ghat mountains via dedicated twin tunnels. This will completely bypass heavy road traffic on the route.
The metro line is expected to reduce travel time from Hadapsar to Purandar Airport by 30 to 40 minutes, providing smooth and seamless connectivity to the new airport.
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Importance of the project
Better Connectivity to Purandar Airport – The new Purandar International Airport (Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje International Airport) will spread across 2,400 hectares and serve as a major passenger and cargo hub. The land acquisition process for the International Airport is in progress.
More than half of the required land has been acquired with the 91 % of owners’ consent, the land acquisition process is likely to be completed by August, CM Shri Devendra Fadnavis said. The proposed Metro link will offer fast and hassle-free access to the airport, saving passengers from Pune’s heavy traffic congestion.
Cost-Effective Metro Design – Shri Fadnavis stated that provisions have been incorporated in the design of the new elevated road corridors to accommodate future metro viaducts. This forward-looking approach is expected to reduce metro construction costs by nearly 40% compared to building standalone metro corridors later.
He added that these corridors will also significantly improve highway access for residents of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad.
Bypassing Dive Ghat Bottleneck – The notorious Dive Ghat section on NH 965 is known for steep curves, slow traffic, and frequent congestion. The twin tunnels will bypass this difficult mountainous stretch, ensuring smooth and reliable travel throughout the year.
This Metro link is expected to be a game-changer for Pune’s future transport infrastructure.