Pune News: Contractors for Ring Road shall be finalized by July-End

MSRDC plans construction post-monsoon; 90% land acquisition for western phase complete

Pune: 

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) will finalize contractors for the ambitious 136-km ring road project by the end of July. The construction is expected to commence post-monsoon, according to MSRDC’s Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Anilkumar Gaikwad.

The project, which includes eastern and western corridors, attracted 19 bids from various companies in March this year. “We’re evaluating the bids now. Five companies will be selected for different stretches as the project will be executed in nine phases,” said Gaikwad.

Tenders for the project were invited on January 17, with a submission deadline of March 1. The submitted tenders were opened on March 26. Evaluation was delayed due to the Lok Sabha elections, officials added.

The western corridor, spanning 65.45 km, will be constructed in five phases, ranging from 7.5 km to 20 km. The 71.35-km eastern corridor will be built in four phases, with stretches varying from 11.85 km to 24.5 km. The entire ring road, aimed at decongesting Pune city’s internal roads, is expected to be ready by September 2027.

Significant progress has been made in land acquisition, with 90% of the land for the western phase already acquired. Acquisition for the eastern phase is currently underway and is expected to begin in earnest by July-August following fund allocation. The land acquisition process alone is estimated to cost Rs 10,000 crore, covering 1,900 hectares across 87 villages.

The project’s scope includes the construction of eight tunnels, three small bridges, two large bridges, and a half-kilometer bridge across the Khadakwasla dam’s backwaters. The western ring road will traverse Bhor, Haveli, Mulshi, and Maval talukas, while the eastern section will pass through Maval, Khed, Haveli, Purandar, and Bhor talukas.

MSRDC officials confirmed that a loan has been secured from the Housing and Urban Development Corporation Ltd (HUDCO) to support the project. “Land acquisition for the eastern phase process should start in July-August after fund allocation”.