Nashik Mayor to Meet Union Minister Over Critical Highway Widening Project
Nashik Mayor Himgauri Aher announced on Wednesday that she will soon meet Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari to seek final approval for the long-pending widening of the Dwarka Circle-Datta Mandir stretch of the Nashik-Pune highway. This move comes as key road infrastructure projects remain stalled ahead of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela scheduled for 2027.
Project Delays Threaten Kumbh Mela Preparations
Despite receiving in-principle approval from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has yet to obtain final clearance for the ₹203 crore project. Mayor Aher expressed concern that even a month after tenders were floated, the lack of final approval continues to delay progress, potentially jeopardizing critical infrastructure works essential for the massive religious gathering.
The 6.4-kilometer city stretch from Dwarka Circle to Datta Mandir in Nashik Road, including the service road alongside the flyover, requires urgent attention. The NMC initially invited bids on March 17 with an April 11 deadline, but poor response led to an extension until April 27. Civic officials attribute the tepid interest partly to the absence of final NHAI approval.
Time-Sensitive Completion Target
The civic administration has outlined plans to expedite the tender process and issue work orders immediately upon receiving clearance. The road widening project is targeted for completion by March 2027, a timeline considered crucial as Kumbh Mela preparations enter their most critical phase. The Dwarka-Nashik Road corridor represents one of the city's busiest thoroughfares, handling:
- Continuous intercity traffic toward Pune
- Regional traffic to Shirdi
- Access to the Sinnar industrial belt
- Heavy local vehicular movement
High commercial activity along this stretch has significantly worsened congestion, making the widening project long overdue. Officials estimate the improved road will nearly double traffic-handling capacity and alleviate daily bottlenecks that plague commuters.
Broader Infrastructure Concerns Raised
During her meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai on Tuesday, Mayor Aher raised broader concerns about stalled Kumbh-related infrastructure projects. She specifically sought approval for 45 road projects worth over ₹1,500 crore proposed by the NMC that were rejected by the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority (NTKMA).
Officials revealed a significant disparity between proposed and approved infrastructure:
- The NMC proposed 240 kilometers of roads costing over ₹3,000 crore
- The NTKMA cleared only 28 roads spanning 117.4 kilometers at ₹1,270 crore
- Just four of seventeen proposed bridges received approval
This approval gap highlights the challenges facing Nashik's infrastructure development as the city prepares to host millions of pilgrims during the Simhastha Kumbh Mela in 2027. The upcoming meeting with Union Minister Gadkari represents a critical step toward resolving bureaucratic hurdles and ensuring timely completion of essential transportation improvements.
