Pune’s next phase of metro expansion is set to significantly alter the city’s transport landscape, with plans for nearly 22 kilometres of integrated double-decker corridors combining elevated roads and metro infrastructure across some of the city’s busiest growth zones. The proposal, embedded within the broader Pune Metro Phase 2 expansion, signals a major shift towards layered mobility infrastructure aimed at addressing rising congestion, longer commute times and mounting pressure on urban road networks. The proposed stretches are planned along the Ramwadi-Wagholi, Vanaz-Chandani Chowk, Kharadi-Khadakwasla and Bhairoba Nala-Akashwani corridors, areas that have witnessed rapid real estate growth and escalating traffic volumes over the last decade. Urban planners tracking the project say the integrated model reflects an attempt to balance expanding private vehicle demand with the urgent need for mass transit connectivity in a city increasingly constrained by limited road capacity.
Under the Pune Metro Phase 2 blueprint, the city is expected to add nearly 55 kilometres of new metro viaduct infrastructure. Several sections are proposed as stacked transport corridors where elevated carriageways would operate beneath metro lines, reducing the need for additional land acquisition in dense urban pockets. Officials associated with the project said structural safety verification and engineering scrutiny are now being prioritised before execution advances further. The largest integrated section is proposed on the Ramwadi-Wagholi route, where portions of the corridor are expected to combine elevated roads and metro structures within a shared framework. Another critical segment near Chandani Chowk is planned to connect metro access with existing highway pedestrian infrastructure, highlighting growing emphasis on interchange connectivity rather than isolated transport construction.
The Kharadi-Khadakwasla and Nal Stop-Manikbaug alignments are also expected to emerge as major mobility corridors linking eastern commercial districts with dense residential zones in western Pune. Transport analysts note that these areas have experienced substantial pressure from unplanned traffic growth, especially after the expansion of IT parks, housing clusters and peripheral commercial developments. Civic authorities and infrastructure agencies are still evaluating final alignments, station configurations and structural layouts. Multiple agencies, including municipal and regional planning bodies, are expected to review the proposals before approvals are finalised. Officials indicated that engineering models may undergo revisions depending on road width constraints, utility relocation requirements and integration with existing flyovers.
The project also revives debate around whether elevated corridors alone can sustainably solve Pune’s mobility challenges. Experts in urban transport caution that while double-decker infrastructure may ease immediate congestion bottlenecks, long-term success will depend on improving public transport accessibility, pedestrian movement, last-mile connectivity and transit-oriented development around metro stations. For Pune, the larger significance of the Pune Metro Phase 2 project lies beyond construction scale. The city is now attempting to redesign mobility around integrated and space-efficient infrastructure at a time when rising vehicle ownership, fragmented planning and climate-related urban stress are intensifying pressure on transport systems. How effectively these corridors integrate with wider public transport and neighbourhood-level mobility networks could determine whether the expansion delivers lasting urban resilience or simply postpones future congestion.
