Prime Highlight
- Pune is preparing a key review of the 54-km Paatal Lok underground corridor aimed at easing city-wide traffic congestion.
- The project plans to shift through-traffic underground to reduce pressure on crowded surface roads.
Key Facts
- The Yerawada–Katraj Tunnel Corridor will connect north and south Pune through a deep-level underground expressway.
- Estimated to cost ₹8,800 crore, the review will assess progress, safety, funding, and contractor performance.
Background
Pune is preparing for a key review of the ambitious “Paatal Lok” underground road project, a 54-kilometre tunnel-based corridor designed to ease traffic pressure across the city. Officially called the Pune Yerawada–Katraj Tunnel Corridor and Underground Road Network, the project aims to transform daily travel by moving through-traffic away from crowded surface roads.
The project will create a high-capacity underground expressway that connects Yerawada in the north to Katraj in the south. Its core feature is a deep-level tunnel supported by access ramps, interchanges and urban link roads. The corridor will mainly run below the surface, allowing the city to expand road capacity without disturbing existing buildings and neighbourhoods.
Pune’s roads have struggled with fast population growth and rising vehicle numbers. Daily congestion on key routes, including Solapur Road and feeder roads from the Mumbai–Bengaluru highway, has increased travel time and fuel loss. The underground network seeks to separate long-distance vehicles from local traffic, helping reduce bottlenecks across the city.
The project will cost about ₹8,800 crore, making it one of Pune’s biggest infrastructure investments. Engineers face major challenges such as digging deep tunnels, connecting the project with existing utilities and metro lines and installing ventilation, lighting, and safety systems.
City officials are now getting ready for a detailed review that will check construction progress, safety standards, approvals for new tunnel sections, funding status and contractor performance. This assessment will decide the pace of the next construction phase and possible timelines for opening parts of the corridor.
Once completed, the Paatal Lok network is expected to shorten travel time between north and south Pune, ease pressure on surface roads and improve air quality by cutting idle traffic. Planners believe the project will also boost economic activity by making travel more predictable.
As the review nears, residents and businesses are closely watching the project that could redefine how Pune moves.
