Nashik Pune Highway Stretch To Be Expanded To Ten Lanes

20 May 2026 CW Team

A major road expansion will widen the Dwarka-Datta Mandir section of the Nashik-Pune highway from six lanes to 10 lanes, with approval from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The upgrade, estimated to cost Rs 2,210 mn, is scheduled to begin later this month and is to be executed by the Nashik Municipal Corporation. Officials said the work has gained urgency ahead of the 2027 Kumbh Mela.

The project covers a six point four kilometre stretch that serves as a critical entry route into Nashik and carries a heavy mix of local and intercity traffic, including vehicles bound for Pune, Shirdi and the Sinnar industrial region. Officials said the upgrade is intended to ease congestion and improve movement during peak pilgrim flows anticipated for the 2027 Kumbh Mela. The ministry approval clears design and funding aspects, enabling the municipality to mobilise resources.

The Nashik Municipal Corporation expects construction to be completed within a year and has stated that preparatory work is almost complete. Civic commissioner Manisha Khatri said that almost 95 per cent of the land required is in possession and that five per cent remains to be acquired against transfer of development rights. Under the proposed redesign the present 25-metre-wide road will be expanded to 45 metres, allowing for a broader carriageway and service lanes. Dedicated service roads on both sides and new footpaths are included to improve pedestrian safety and to reduce bottlenecks caused by roadside commercial activity.

Authorities expect the combination of added lanes, wider road width and separate service roads to relieve one of the city's most congested corridors and to support movement during the Kumbh period. The municipality will proceed with land acquisition and construction scheduling now that central approval and funding estimates have been confirmed.

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20 May 2026

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