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The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has initiated the process to revive the long-pending High Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTR) project by inviting bids to appoint consultants for technical work and land acquisition. The move comes after directions from the Maharashtra government to fast-track the project, which has been delayed for over a decade due to land acquisition, environmental clearances and changes in the city's transport network. The revised 43-km elevated corridor is expected to improve connectivity across Pune, with the civic body aiming to issue construction tenders by October after completing the preparatory work.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has started the process of reviving the long-delayed High Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTR) project by inviting bids to appoint consultants for technical work and land acquisition. The move follows directions from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to speed up the implementation of the project, which has remained pending for more than a decade due to challenges related to land acquisition, environmental clearances and changes in Pune's transport infrastructure.
PMC has floated two separate tenders—one to appoint a principal consultant for pre-tender technical work and another to oversee land acquisition, surveys and statutory approvals required before the project enters the construction stage.
PMC Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram said the civic administration had initiated the consultant appointment process and had secured an initial funding commitment of INR 3,000 crore for the project. He added that the corporation is aiming to complete the preparatory work at the earliest and issue construction tenders by October.
The HCMTR was originally planned as a 35.96-km elevated ring corridor under Pune's Development Plan. However, following revisions approved by the Maharashtra government in 2024, the corridor has been expanded to around 43 km. The revised alignment includes the missing Vishrantwadi–Bopodi stretch, creating a continuous ring corridor around the city and improving overall connectivity.
Additional Municipal Commissioner Pavneet Kaur said the revised alignment largely follows the route approved by the state government while addressing important connectivity gaps. She stated that the consultants will update technical studies, complete statutory formalities and prepare the project for execution.
Chief Superintendent Engineer Dinkar Gojare said the alignment has been modified at 12 locations to reduce land acquisition requirements and improve the project's feasibility. He noted that the earlier technical studies had become outdated over the past 12 years, making fresh environmental assessments, updated land records and revised engineering plans necessary, particularly where the corridor intersects with Pune Metro routes and major roads.
According to Gojare, drone-based land surveys are already underway, while the updated technical review is expected to be completed within three months. He further said that nearly 51 per cent of the land required under the original alignment is already available. The Maharashtra government has also agreed in principle to transfer the required government land either free of cost or at nominal rates, which is expected to support the project's implementation.
The proposed HCMTR will comprise a six-lane, 24-metre-wide elevated corridor with a centrally located Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS). The corridor has been planned to enable uninterrupted movement of buses and emergency vehicles at speeds of up to 50 kmph, while helping reduce congestion on major roads across Pune.
Once completed, the corridor will connect several important parts of the city, including Bopodi, Aundh, Shivajinagar, Kothrud, Erandawane, Wanowrie, Hadapsar, Mundhwa and Vishrantwadi. The project is expected to complement Pune's expanding Metro network and strengthen east-west as well as north-south connectivity across the city.
The HCMTR project has been part of Pune's long-term mobility planning for several years and was proposed to create an alternative high-capacity transport corridor capable of handling increasing traffic volumes. However, repeated delays caused by land acquisition issues, environmental concerns and changes in urban infrastructure prevented the project from moving beyond the planning stage. The latest consultant appointment process marks a fresh step towards taking the project into execution.
Source PTI
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