Chaos in Mundhwa & Keshav Nagar After Sudden Traffic Changes, Commuters Fume Over Sudden Road Diversions

Daily commuters and residents of Keshav Nagar and Mundhwa in Pune are expressing frustration over sudden traffic diversions and the lack of real infrastructure development in the area.

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has barricaded Mundhwa Chowk, which has led to severe disruption in regular traffic flow, forcing vehicles to take inconvenient turns with no explanation from authorities.

According to local reports, vehicles from Keshav Nagar are now unable to go straight or take a right turn at Mundhwa Chowk. Instead, they have to take a mandatory left turn, which heads commuters towards the Magarpatta underbridge, from where a U-turn is required to access key locations like Kharadi, the Passport Office, and Koregaon Park. This new route has caused longer travel times, increased fuel consumption, and created confusion.

Chaitanya Sharma, a resident of Mundhwa, said, “We are particularly upset over the lack of actual on-ground work. The long-pending Godrej–Kharadi bridge remains untouched, while the already-constructed underpass from Keshav Nagar to Amanora is still not operational. Meanwhile, authorities are simply experimenting with traffic patterns, causing immense inconvenience without addressing the core issues.”

Residents speak up

Another resident said, “It’s due to the inability of the authorities and local politicians that common citizens and residents have to face this harassment. All over Pune city, one can find flyovers and underground routes, but even though this is the busiest route which connects to the big highways of Solapur Road and Ahmednagar Road—where major projects already exist like Amanora, Magarpatta, many in Kharadi, and in Keshav Nagar too—they are sanctioned by PMC without any survey and without meeting minimum requirements like water, roads, and footpaths. PMC seems to be acting like a business company, collecting crores from Keshav Nagar properties but showing no interest in providing basic infrastructure.”

“We urge PMC and traffic authorities to address the root problems instead of implementing short-term and disruptive solutions. Residential projects continue to be handed over to residents in the Keshav Nagar area, bringing in a steady increase of vehicles to an already overburdened road network. If authorities can’t provide basic facilities, then they should not be giving NOCs to builders,” he added.

When Free Press Journal tried contacting Yuvaraj Deshmukh, head of PMC’s projects department, he replied, “You please contact the traffic division.”

However, the residents claimed that the major issue is due to traffic congestion, but the long-pending Godrej–Kharadi bridge remains incomplete, and the already-constructed underpass from Keshav Nagar to Amanora is not open for public use. Once it is opened, it will help decongest traffic.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Amol Zende, announced the changes starting April 24.

The details are as follows:

The Nagar Road-side lane at Kharadi Bypass Chowk will continue to operate as a no-signal lane.

Vehicles heading from Kharadi Bypass towards Mundhwa and Hadapsar must use two lanes in the Chandan Nagar area and then take a right turn at the signal towards Mundhwa and Hadapsar.

Vehicles going towards Ahilyanagar (Ahmednagar) should avoid using the divider lanes.

Vehicles coming from Mundhwa and Hadapsar to Ahilyanagar should take a right turn at the signal into both divider lanes and then proceed to their destination.

Vehicles from Kharadi Dargah Junction should take a left into the Ahilyanagar lane.