Nagpur’s Manewada–Mhalgi Nagar three-in-one flyover project is worsening congestion and road safety conditions on the Inner Ring Road, with construction of its crucial 1.5-km connecting span yet to begin despite the tender being awarded in May. The Public Works Department has said work is likely to start next week, but motorists could face another 18 to 24 months of disruption once construction begins.
The project is being implemented by the World Bank division of the state PWD. Two flyovers, one each at Manewada and Mhalgi Nagar, are already under construction. The third structure is intended to connect them into a continuous 2.8-km elevated corridor. The connecting span will run between Manewada and Mhalgi Nagar squares, where traffic is currently moving through narrowed carriageways and barricaded stretches.
A PWD official told the Times of India that the department was planning to begin work on the connecting flyover next week and complete it within 18 months. The project details cited in the report, however, specify a 24-month construction period after work starts. The difference between the two timelines has not been explained in the supplied report.
The connecting flyover received administrative approval of ₹185 crore, while its tender was awarded for ₹106 crore on May 15, 2026. Sources cited by the Times of India said the state government had granted administrative approval in February 2025, but the tender was awarded only in May 2026. They attributed the delay in starting construction to the PWD’s World Bank division.
The original project involved two separate flyovers, each with an administrative approval of approximately ₹73 crore. Their tenders were awarded for less than ₹50 crore each. Union minister Nitin Gadkari performed the bhoomipujan for the two structures in August 2024 and proposed linking them into a single elevated corridor. The state government subsequently approved the connecting flyover, expanding the project into a three-part structure.
To create an uninterrupted elevated route, the project design removed the descending ramp after Manewada Square and the ascending ramp before Mhalgi Nagar Square. The changes are intended to allow the three structures to merge, but the ongoing works have reduced the road space available to vehicles below.
The Inner Ring Road has also deteriorated during the construction period. Potholes, loose gravel, uneven surfaces and large craters have been reported along the route. Repeated patchwork repairs have not lasted, with sources saying heavy traffic prevents freshly laid bitumen from settling properly. Barricades have further narrowed the carriageway, producing long queues during peak hours.
The conditions have created particular risks for two-wheeler riders. Mangesh Patre, a regular commuter, told the Times of India that vehicles were skidding on uneven sections and that barricades had considerably slowed traffic. He also expressed concern that congestion could worsen when work on the connecting flyover begins.
The project’s next stated milestone is the start of construction on the connecting span, which the PWD official said is likely to take place next week. Until then, commuters will continue to use the existing narrowed and damaged sections of the Inner Ring Road alongside the two flyovers under construction.
