Hedgewar flyover opens in Nagpur, cuts Indora-Dighori trip to 10 minutes

A new flyover has opened in Nagpur and is being discussed across the country. Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis jointly inaugurated the bridge. It is built using Ultra High Performance Fibre Reinforced Concrete, or UHPFRC, technology and is also eco friendly.

The flyover, built from Indora Chowk to Dighori, is on National Highway 353D and is about 8.9 kilometres long. It connects the northern and southern parts of Nagpur city. It is the longest and most expensive elevated corridor built in Nagpur so far. A journey that used to take an hour will now be completed in just 10 minutes.

At an event at Nagpur's Suresh Bhat Sabhagruh, Gadkari explained the features of the flyover. He said that because of the use of UHPFRC technology, it was difficult to create a large span between two pillars, so only a single pair of structural segments was used. This reduced the number of supports needed and allowed the bridge to be completed faster.

Gadkari said the road journey from Indora to Dighori used to take about an hour, but with the new flyover it will now take only 10 to 15 minutes. The flyover was built by the National Highways Authority of India at a cost of about one thousand crore rupees.

The bridge's design is also distinctive. It connects five directions at Ashok Square, and an Ashok Stambh has been built at the bridge's junction. The site also features paintings themed on the Constitution and attractive lighting. Gadkari clarified that the names of existing roads have not been changed because of this flyover corridor. He said it is a multi layered structure, whether three layers or four, and that this has given Nagpur a distinct identity.

The stretch from Indora Chowk to Panchpaoli Chowk will continue to be called Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marg, with no change. Only the flyover itself has been named Dr. Hedgewar flyover. Ashok Chowk will continue to be called Ashok Chowk, though the intersection has been redeveloped. Gadkari also made clear that Reshimbagh Chowk will continue to be called General Mancherjee Awari Chowk.

Ramps have been built at three locations: Daga Hospital, Reshimbagh Chowk and Bada Tajbagh. This will help reduce traffic congestion in densely populated areas such as Gandhibagh and Panchpaoli. An elevated passage has also been built over the metro corridor at Agrasen Chowk to ease the movement of multi lane traffic, a system similar to what already exists on Wardha Road and Kamptee Road in Nagpur.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh completing 100 years since its founding, the flyover has been named after the organisation's founder and first Sarsanghchalak, Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar. Fadnavis also said the city has several environment friendly projects under way that will help Nagpur be counted among cities with international standards in the coming years. He said a 148 kilometre Golden Arc ring road is being built around Nagpur, which will expand the city. Nagpur currently has 35 flyovers, and 15 more are proposed. According to Fadnavis, these infrastructure facilities will accelerate Nagpur's development.