Nashik has begun work on a Rs 65-crore road upgrade linking Mahatma Nagar and Motiwala College, with the 4.5km corridor expected to be completed by March 2027 and serve as an alternative route to the 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 asphalting the existing canal-side road between Bardan Phata and Motiwala College, according to details released by the Nashik Municipal Corporation and reported by the Times of India.
The existing road, which is approximately nine metres wide, will be expanded to 24 metres and strengthened to handle increased vehicular movement. Civic officials said the upgraded corridor is intended to divert a significant portion of traffic from Gangapur Road, reduce congestion and improve connectivity in western Nashik.
Gangapur Road has become one of the city’s busiest arterial routes as residential, educational, commercial and recreational development has expanded in western Nashik. The corridor connects the city centre with schools, colleges, hospitals, banks, restaurants and other commercial establishments, resulting in frequent traffic interruptions and slow movement during peak hours.
Traffic on the route also increases on weekends and holidays because Gangapur Road provides access to destinations including Sula Vineyards, Soma Vine Village, Gangapur Dam and the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation’s boating facility in the dam backwaters. Civic officials have identified inadequate parking, roadside encroachments and the absence of dedicated service roads at several locations as additional contributors to congestion.
The municipal corporation’s standing committee has approved the project, after which the civic public works department issued a work order to the contractor concerned. The project is among a series of road infrastructure works being taken up in Nashik ahead of the expected influx of pilgrims for the 2027 Kumbh Mela.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Shinde said improved road connectivity supports urban development. He directed authorities to complete ongoing road projects within their stipulated timelines and maintain construction quality. He also warned that action would be taken against contractors found responsible for poor-quality road work.
The ceremony also brought attention to the staffing capacity of the municipal corporation. Deputy mayor Vilas Shinde sought state government approval to fill more than 2,500 vacant posts in the Nashik Municipal Corporation ahead of the Kumbh Mela. In response, the deputy chief minister directed municipal commissioner Manisha Khatri to submit a proposal to the state urban development department and said steps would be taken towards recruitment before the religious congregation.
The Mahatma Nagar–Motiwala College corridor is expected to strengthen Nashik’s western road network as the city prepares for higher traffic volumes linked to the Kumbh Mela. The next stated milestone is completion of the widening and asphalting work by March 2027.
