Nashik’s Rs 65-crore road project between Mahatma Nagar and Motiwala College has received a formal start and is scheduled for completion by March 2027, creating a parallel corridor to reduce pressure on the heavily congested Gangapur Road ahead of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela.
Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde performed the groundbreaking ceremony on Monday. The project involves widening and strengthening the existing canal-side road between Bardan Phata and Motiwala College, along with asphalting the upgraded stretch.
The road currently measures around nine metres in width and will be expanded to 24 metres under the project. Following approval from the Nashik Municipal Corporation’s standing committee, the civic public works department has issued the work order to the appointed contractor.
A civic official told the Times of India that the upgraded road is expected to provide an alternative route for motorists and divert a significant share of traffic from Gangapur Road. The parallel corridor is also intended to improve connectivity in western Nashik, where residential, educational, commercial and recreational development has increased vehicular movement.
Gangapur Road links Nashik’s city centre with several high-density residential pockets and a range of schools, colleges, hospitals, banks, restaurants and commercial establishments. Traffic frequently slows during peak hours because of roadside activity, inadequate parking, encroachments and the absence of dedicated service roads at several locations.
The corridor also provides access to tourist destinations including Sula Vineyards, Soma Vine Village, Gangapur Dam and the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation’s boating facility in the dam backwaters. Officials said traffic rises further on weekends and holidays, adding to the pressure on the arterial route.
The road project is part of Nashik’s wider infrastructure preparations for the 2027 Simhastha Kumbh Mela, when the city is expected to handle a substantial influx of pilgrims. Shinde said improved road connectivity would support urban development and directed authorities to complete ongoing projects within the stipulated timelines without compromising construction quality.
He also warned that action would be taken against contractors responsible for poor-quality road works. During the ceremony, deputy mayor Vilas Shinde sought approval to fill more than 2,500 vacant posts in the Nashik Municipal Corporation before the Kumbh Mela. The deputy chief minister directed municipal commissioner Manisha Khatri to submit a proposal to the state urban development department for the recruitment process.
The Mahatma Nagar–Motiwala College corridor is expected to be ready by March 2027, according to the project timeline cited by civic officials.
