Pune: The civic body will remove around 200 speed breakers and repair damaged lids of 400 drainage chambers to level certain city roads over the next two months in preparation of the 684km Pune Grand Challenge Tour which is scheduled for Jan 2026 and is a qualifier for the Los Angeles Olympics 2028.The event will be a major milestone in Pune’s sporting calendar and has been recognised by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) on the lines of the Tour de France.The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had already approved Rs145 crore to improve cycling infrastructure and approximately Rs60 lakh out of it will be used for the said project. Speaking to reporters at a presentation regarding the event, head of the civic road department Aniruddha Pawaskar said, “Works have been proposed to ensure that the event is conducted smoothly. We will adopt a repair system of national and international standards to provide good roads for the global event.“Civic officials said the PMC has outlined stringent tender conditions to make sure implementation of projects is timely and of high quality. Only one project will be allotted per contractor to ensure focused execution. A fine of Rs50,000 a day will be imposed for any delays beyond the 60-day deadline. Additionally, PMC will blacklist defaulting contractors from registration for five years.The administration will make it mandatory in the contract terms for the contractors to own and operate a hot mix batch type plant (with a minimum production capacity of 120 tonnes per hour) within 35km of PMC limits. The firms must essentially have at least two pavers, two bitumen distributors, four vibratory rollers and one milling machine per package. Bituminous concrete work must be carried out using stringline and sensor-controlled equipment to ensure precise slope and grade control.Pawaskar said, “PMC will test the ride quality as per standard operating procedures before any payment is released. A safety consultant will be appointed to conduct both pre- and post-work safety audits.”He said a defect liability period (DLP) of 10 years has been given to the works. However, similar to the case of Mission 15 roads, the contractors would no longer be part of the DLP if the administration allows digging works on the said roads within three years.
