Nashik Municipal Corporation has earmarked ₹15 crore under the National Clean Air Programme for a citywide Nashik Junction Improvement Plan aimed at redesigning 30 to 40 major intersections, easing congestion and improving safety for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.
The first phase will focus on traffic-engineering interventions at critical junctions across the city. NMC officials said a technical consultant has been finalised through the tender process and will soon begin detailed surveys to identify intersections requiring urgent improvements.
The consultant will study traffic volumes, turning movements and road safety conditions at key junctions. The assessment will also include road safety audits and projections of traffic and vehicle growth over the next 10 years. NMC said the long-term projections are intended to ensure that the proposed designs remain effective as traffic increases.
Officials have attributed Nashik’s worsening congestion partly to inadequate intersection designs, rising traffic volumes and the absence of modern traffic management systems. The improvement plan will examine measures including redesigned junction geometry, traffic channelisation, traffic islands, medians and free-left-turn lanes wherever feasible.
The proposed works will also include pedestrian crossings, refuge islands, cycle tracks, improved footpaths, bus bays, street lighting and parking management solutions. The plan seeks to address accident-prone black spots through engineering interventions, while improving visibility and movement for different categories of road users.
NMC is also considering the use of smart traffic systems, including CCTV cameras, traffic sensors, adaptive signal systems and countdown timers. These technologies are intended to support real-time monitoring and improve signal management at busy intersections, although the civic body has not yet announced the final technology specifications or junction-wise deployment plan.
Before permanent changes are finalised, NMC plans to conduct trial runs at selected junctions using temporary barricades and road markings. These trials will be carried out in coordination with the city traffic police, allowing officials to assess how proposed changes affect vehicle movement and road-user safety under actual traffic conditions.
The plan’s scope places intersection design at the centre of Nashik’s response to congestion. Rather than treating traffic delays only as a road-capacity problem, the proposed surveys will examine turning patterns, pedestrian movement, signal operations and the relationship between junction geometry and accident risk.
NMC officials said a traffic assessment will be conducted three months after implementation to evaluate the effectiveness of the measures. The consultant’s surveys and subsequent designs will determine which junctions enter the first phase and what interventions are adopted at each location.
