Pune’s long-delayed High-Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTR) project has moved closer to implementation, with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) planning a drone survey and a site film to document the proposed alignment. The 43.60-km elevated corridor aims to ease traffic congestion by providing a faster route across key parts of the city. The Pune HCMTR involves a six-lane road, connections to major arterial roads through ramps, land acquisition across several localities and an estimated land acquisition outlay of Rs 2,634 crore. The civic body expects the corridor to reduce traffic congestion by 25-30% and improve movement between residential neighborhoods, employment hubs, commercial districts and major transport links. Pune HCMTR project features and current status Originally included in Pune’s 1987 Development Plan, the HCMTR has undergone several revisions and remained stalled for years because of land acquisition requirements, environmental clearances and changes to the proposed alignment. The revised corridor is now being prepared for implementation, with technical studies, land acquisition procedures, and pre-tender work as immediate priorities.
Feature
Details
Project name
High-Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTR)
Proposed length
Approximately 43.60 km
Road configuration
Six lanes across a 24-meter-wide corridor
Project structure
Elevated corridor with ramps connecting it to major city roads
Key junctions
34 junctions across the revised alignment
Land acquisition
Approximately 4.98 lakh sq m, including private land
Land acquisition outlay
Rs 2,634 crore
Expected traffic impact
Estimated 25-30% reduction in congestion
Current stage
Land acquisition, surveys, technical preparation and pre-tender work
The corridor is designed to provide more continuous movement across the city, with ramps allowing vehicles to enter and exit at selected junctions. This should help reduce dependence on congested surface roads for certain cross-city journeys. The route is also intended to accommodate buses and emergency vehicles and improve their ability to travel across busy urban stretches. Areas covered by Pune HCMTR: What it means for connectivity? The revised alignment brings the HCMTR through western, central, southern and eastern Pune, linking neighborhoods that currently rely on busy arterial roads for cross-city travel. The route includes Bopodi, Aundh, Shivajinagar, Kothrud, Erandwane, Parvati, Wanowrie, Hadapsar, Mundhwa, Wadgaon Sheri, Lohegaon, Yerawada and Vishrantwadi. The Vishrantwadi-Bopodi link is particularly important because it helps close a gap in the planned corridor. On the western side, Bopodi and Aundh provide access towards the Mumbai-Pune highway network, while Kothrud and Erandwane connect the corridor to established residential districts and routes leading towards the city’s western outskirts. The central stretch brings the route closer to Shivajinagar, university-area roads and major junctions. Towards the south and east, Wanowrie, Hadapsar, Mundhwa and Wadgaon Sheri are important because of their residential clusters, commercial developments and employment centers. The project also complements the Pune Metro system, including the Vanaz-Chandni Chowk extension on the western side and the Ramwadi corridor serving eastern Pune. The HCMTR will connect to the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway (NH 48), Pune-Solapur Road (NH 65), and the Pune-Nashik route (NH 60) through ramps that link the elevated corridor to Pune’s arterial road network. It is being advanced alongside the proposed Pune Inner Ring Road and a separate tunnel network, intended to reduce congestion across the wider metropolitan region Impact on Pune’s real estate market Market insights: Pune