Nashik Municipal Corporation has launched a citywide Junction Improvement Plan and earmarked Rs 15 crore under the National Clean Air Programme to redesign around 30 to 40 major traffic junctions, as the city faces rising congestion and road-safety concerns.
The first phase will use traffic-engineering measures to improve vehicle movement, reduce delays and make intersections safer for pedestrians, cyclists, public transport users and motorists. Civic officials said a technical consultant has been finalised through the tender process and will soon begin detailed surveys across key junctions.
The consultant will assess traffic volumes, turning movements and road-safety conditions at intersections identified as critical. The improvement plans will be prepared in accordance with Indian Roads Congress guidelines. The assessment will also include traffic-growth and vehicle projections for the next 10 years, with the stated aim of ensuring that proposed interventions remain effective as demand increases.
Officials attributed Nashik’s congestion partly to inadequate intersection designs, higher traffic volumes and the absence of modern traffic-management systems. Bottlenecks and longer travel times have been reported at several junctions as the number of vehicles has risen steadily in recent years.
The proposed interventions include redesigned junction geometries, pedestrian crossings, cycle tracks, improved traffic signals, bus bays, street lighting and parking-management measures. The plan will also seek to address accident-prone black spots through engineering interventions. Other possible measures include channelisation, traffic islands, medians and free-left-turn lanes where feasible.
Pedestrian safety features under consideration include refuge islands, better visibility at intersections and integrated footpath and cycling infrastructure. The civic body is also considering smart systems such as CCTV cameras, traffic sensors, adaptive signal systems and countdown timers to improve real-time monitoring and traffic management.
Before finalising the changes, the NMC will conduct trial runs at selected junctions using temporary barricades and road markings in coordination with the city traffic police. The trials are intended to help assess how proposed changes affect traffic movement and road-user safety before permanent improvements are implemented.
A traffic assessment will be carried out three months after implementation to evaluate the effectiveness of the measures. The consultant’s surveys and the subsequent designs will determine which junctions are prioritised and how the Rs 15 crore allocation is deployed across the first phase.
