Wednesday 23 November 2011

Pune-Nashik Road to be widened

To address the problems of growing traffic congestion in Chakan-Khed-Talegoan industrial areas, the state government has decided to initiate steps to widen the Pune-Nashik highway (NH 50).

According to the plan, the 30-km stretch between Nashik Phata and Rajgurunagar will be widened to six lanes from the existing four while the remaining stretch between Rajgurunagar and Nashik will be widened to four lanes from the existing two.

The public works department (PWD) recently called for a tender to appoint a consultant to prepare the detail project report (DPR) for six-laning of road.

An official from the department said once the DPR is ready, it will be sent to the state for approval. This will followed by inviting tenders for actual implementation of project. "The DPR will include conducting a details survey of the entire stretch from Nashik phata to Rajgurunagar, identification of areas required for acquisition to undertake the expansion of two additional lanes, preparation of estimates; and study of all other issues pertaining to expansion of the road," said the official.

The expansion becomes inevitable considering a significant increase in vehicular traffic, owing to newly-developed residential areas in Nashik phata-Chakan stretch and new industries coming up in Rajgurunagar and Chakan areas.

The expansion of Chakan MIDC has increased the traffic of heavy vehicles on this road.

Moreover, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) had written to the government demanding widening of the Pune-Nahik highway to six-lane up to Moshi. The PCMC also has planned to construct flyovers to increase capacity and streamline road connectivity.

Besides six-laning of Nashik phata-Rajgurunagar stretch, the state also has taken steps for the four-laning of Rajgurunagar-Nashik stretch. The work to prepare a DPR of this allotted to the private contractor.

Currently, a four-lane road is operational on Pune-Nashik highway up to Rajgurunagar and two-lane road after that till Nashik.

Chandmal Parmar, road advisor, said, "Along with six-laning of Pune-Khed road of NH 50, the government also needs to initiate steps for six-laning of Talegaon-Chakan road, which is a direct connection to the Mumbai via expressway. Unless this road is not expanded to six lanes, heavy vehicles will have to travel either to Pune and then reach the expressway, or they will have to travel on the existing small road up to Talegaon."

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