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Authorities have accelerated plans to widen a key stretch of the Nashik-Pune highway as part of infrastructure preparations for the upcoming Simhastha Kumbh Mela. The INR 221 crore project will expand the busy 6.4-km corridor from six lanes to ten lanes and add service roads and footpaths to improve traffic flow and pedestrian movement. The stretch is considered one of Nashik’s most congested routes and is expected to witness a sharp rise in vehicle movement during the religious gathering. The project is also linked to broader road, mobility and urban infrastructure upgrades currently underway across Nashik.
A major road widening project on the Nashik-Pune highway is set to move forward as the Maharashtra government and Nashik Municipal Corporation intensify infrastructure work ahead of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela. The project will focus on the 6.4-km stretch between Dwarka Circle and Datta Mandir, a corridor that handles heavy traffic movement every day and serves as one of the main entry routes into Nashik city. Advertisement
The stretch currently experiences frequent congestion due to increasing vehicular movement, commercial development and pressure from intercity traffic travelling towards Pune, Shirdi and other nearby regions. Officials have stated that the road will be widened from the existing six lanes to ten lanes in order to improve traffic flow and reduce bottlenecks across the corridor.
Under the proposed plan, the road width will be increased to around 45 metres. The upgraded stretch will include service roads on both sides along with dedicated footpaths aimed at improving pedestrian movement and reducing traffic conflicts. Authorities are also planning better junction management and road infrastructure improvements across connecting areas to support smoother movement during peak traffic periods.
The project is estimated to cost around INR 221 crore and has already received approval from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Nashik Municipal Corporation will execute the project. Civic officials have said that nearly 95 per cent of the required land for the widening work is already available, while the remaining land is expected to be acquired through Transferable Development Rights (TDR), reducing the need for large-scale direct acquisition.
Officials are aiming to complete the work within a year after construction begins. The tendering process is expected to move ahead shortly as authorities attempt to speed up infrastructure development before the Kumbh Mela period. The Simhastha Kumbh Mela is scheduled to begin on October 31, 2026, and continue till July 2028. The event is expected to draw crores of devotees and visitors to Nashik and Trimbakeshwar, leading to a major rise in traffic movement across the city.
The Nashik-Pune highway widening project forms part of a broader infrastructure push being planned across Nashik ahead of the religious gathering. In recent months, the civic body has approved multiple road and mobility projects linked to Kumbh preparations. Earlier this year, several road projects worth around INR 298.5 crore received approval, covering new road construction, junction upgrades and connectivity improvements across different parts of the city.
Authorities have also increased focus on clearing encroachments near key traffic junctions and roads identified for expansion work. Recent anti-encroachment drives near Sarda Circle and Dwarka were carried out to support planned road widening and underpass projects aimed at easing congestion in busy urban pockets.
Alongside the highway expansion, the proposed Nashik Ring Road project is also being pushed forward as part of long-term traffic planning for the city. Officials believe the ring road will help divert heavy vehicles and through traffic away from the city centre during the Kumbh period and improve overall urban mobility in the coming years.
The Nashik-Pune corridor is considered strategically important as it connects residential areas, industrial zones, transport hubs and commercial pockets that continue to witness rising traffic pressure. Civic authorities have maintained that the widening work is not limited to Kumbh-related preparations but is also necessary to support Nashik’s long-term urban growth and future transport requirements.
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