Nashik: The National Highways Authority of India has directed the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to include the Dwarka to Datta Mandir road under the National Highways Authority of India, by according a National Highway (NH) status to it and construct a 6-km long flyover on the Nashik-Pune National Highway to reduce traffic congestion at Dwarka Circle, informed by MP Hemant Godse.
The flyover from Dwarka Circle to Datta Mandir will not only reduce the traffic but avoid accidents and ensure the residents’ safety. Dwarka Chowk is located in the middle of the city and the two national highways, Mumbai-Agra and Nashik-Pune, intersect at this chowk. Many residents use the Nashik-Pune Highway to travel to Nashik Road, Sinnar, and Shirdi. It is one of the busiest roads in the city.
This leads to a constant traffic jam between Dwarka Chowk and Datta Mandir Signal. Along with Dwarka Chowk, to reduce the congestion at Bodhlenagar, Gandhinagar, Upnagar, and Nehrunagar, MP Godse met Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and spoke of the seriousness of the situation. A year and a half ago, Gadkari stated that he will approve the proposed flyover and allocate Rs 500 crore funds for the same. A detailed report was prepared on Dwarka-Datta Mandir’s flyover work.
However, as the road falls within the municipal limits, a technical issue arose as to who would fund the work. Due to the low financial budget of the corporation, they couldn’t fund the flyover. Moreover, the Public Works Department had also raised its hand due to boundary issues as the area was within the corporation’s limit.
To find a solution, MP Godse appealed to the Delhi court to resume the work and allocate funds for the flyover’s construction. A recent NHAI meeting has recommended the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to include the Dwarka to Datta Mandir road under the National Highways Authority of India.
“In Nagpur city, there’s a double-decker flyover, consisting of roads and metro functioning together. Similarly, the Metro administration and the NHAI should jointly conceptualize a flyover and metro between Dwarka and Datta Mandir.” – MP Hemant Godse
