Nashik MP Rajabhau Waje met Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi on Thursday.
In the backdrop of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela to be held in 2027, Waje told Gadkari that it is very important to complete the ongoing and proposed development works in Nashik on time.
Waje explained that qualitative changes in the roads, highways, flyovers and transport system in the city are mandatory due to crores of devotees coming from all over the country.
In this meeting, Waje highlighted the importance of the Nashik Road to the Dwarka Flyover project. Considering the increasing traffic congestion in Nashik city, he said that there is a need to complete this bridge immediately. He also clarified that the Ring Road proposed for Nashik will not disrupt traffic in the city and will also accelerate the overall development of the city.
Apart from this, the issues of repair, modernisation and expansion of Nashik-Pune Industrial Highway and Nashik-Mumbai Highway were also discussed. He expressed the belief that this industrial highway will make Nashik-Pune travel shorter and safer, which will give a big boost to industrial and commercial transactions between the two cities.
Waje requested Gadkari to pay special attention to all these projects to get immediate approval, allocate funds and speed up the work. Gadkari responded positively to this and assured to complete the technical and administrative proceedings through the concerned departments as soon as possible and start the actual work.
Is a flyover possible before the Kumbh Mela?
The flyover between Nashik Road and Dwarka is at least 6.5 km long. Experts believe that the construction of such a large bridge can take at least 2 to 4 years. Therefore, even after getting approval, it will take at least 4 to 6 months for the work to start. Due to this, it is considered impossible to complete the flyover before the Kumbh Mela. Problems may increase if the work continues during the Kumbh Mela.
For this reason, it has been discussed earlier between the Central and State Governments that this flyover project was considered to be taken up after the Kumbh Mela. Therefore, there is a fear that this project will get into trouble. However, to avoid this, even if the work starts after the Kumbh Mela, at least now MP Rajabhau Waje has started taking steps to ensure that all types of approvals, technical and documentary work for the project should be completed.
"For the development of Nashik and preparation for the Simhastha Kumbh Mela, it is necessary to complete these works on time. Kumbh Mela is not just a religious festival, but a test of comprehensive urban and civic management. Therefore, with the cooperation of the Central Government, our efforts are underway to provide Nashik with national-level quality infrastructure. We have also clarified in this meeting how quickly will have to work to complete the project work before the Kumbh Mela," said Waje.
