By Shubhangi Chauhan
Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) completed a decades-long legal battle when it acquired critical real estate at Katraj Junction amounting to 3,968 square meters. The land acquisition worth ₹21.57 crore has moved forward to enable the final construction of Katraj-Kondhwa Road expansion and necessary infrastructure development which includes a flyover.
Conditions at Katraj junction have deteriorated extensively due to the fact that it functions as a major traffic hub for vehicles originating from Bengaluru, Goa, Kolhapur, Sangli and Satara. The traffic congestion worsened at Katraj-Kondhwa Road even though the Narhe bypass helped shift some volume of vehicles. The expansion of Katraj-Kondhwa Road by PMC faces continuous delays because of prolonged land acquisition processes which required an investment of ₹150 crore for 3.43 kilometers of construction.
Dr. Rajendra Bhosale who served as Municipal Commissioner together with Additional Commissioner Prithviraj B.P. finished the acquisition process on February 25, 2025. The main figure in the land acquisition process was Deputy Commissioner of Land and Estate Management Pratibha Patil who received support from engineering staff along with land acquisition officers. When PMC tried to use Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) with the affected landowner their approach faced legal problems that halted negotiations. Court decisions from 2005 restricted PMC from using this property until they obtained proper acquisition rights. The municipal authorities obtained the right to expand roads by changing their Development Plan classifications in 2017.
PMC started immediate work at Katraj Junction to improve traffic movement after getting this project. The project plans to build two grade separators and four bridges and a pedestrian underpass besides its main feature of a 60-meter-wide concrete road. NHAI (National Highway Authority of India) continues its flyover development which includes a six-lane structure stretching 1,326 meters to enhance highway connectivity between Pune-Mumbai Bypass and Pune-Solapur Highway.
The public and commercial sector websites have received the expansion initiative positively since both groups have endured numerous delays in the area. The Pune Municipal Corporation made Katraj-Kondhwa road widening a priority which should conclude within March 2026 after revising the timeline.