Nashik: The busy Dwarka junction on the Mumbai-Agra highway partially reopened on Tuesday for vehicles heading towards Mumbai and Dhule, providing some relief after a four-month shutdown due to grade separator work. The partial reopening is expected to significantly reduce congestion on narrow stretches such as Kathe Galli and Bhabhanagar, which had been bearing the brunt of diverted traffic since February.
Traffic Relief Expected
“Owing to the completion of a 22-meter slab at the junction, it has become possible to allow Dhule and Mumbai-bound traffic through. This will reduce the load on the Kathe Galli signal, Ashok Marg, and other areas, bringing major relief to motorists,” said inspector Riyaz Shaikh of the city traffic branch.
One of Nashik’s busiest transit points, the Dwarka junction connects traffic between Nashik city and Nashik Road toward Sinnar, Shirdi and Pune, apart from facilitating movement toward Mumbai and Dhule. Its closure had severely disrupted traffic flow, forcing commuters to rely on congested alternate routes.
Alternate Routes Affected
Roads through Kathe Galli, Bhabhanagar, Ashoka Marg, the Takli stretch from Fame Multiplex, and the canal road between Dr Ambedkar Nagar signal and Indiranagar witnessed heavy congestion in recent months, with even trucks, MSRTC buses and private coaches crowding stretches usually used by smaller vehicles. Shaikh added that a 4-meter-wide service road from Dwarka to Kathe Galli will soon be completed and opened for light vehicles, including two-wheelers, autorickshaws and cars, within the next two weeks.
Ongoing Construction
Authorities said work on the grade separator at the Dwarka junction will continue and is expected to take another eight to nine months to complete. With the monsoon around the corner, a period when traffic movement typically slows, the reopening of the junction is expected to provide timely relief to commuters navigating the city’s strained road network.
