NHAI begins tender process for 42-km six-lane expressway on Nagpur-Wainganga stretch
The Rs 2,553.84-crore project on NH 53 between km 499.800 and 541.800 is targeted for completion in two and a half years.
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Work to widen the key route linking Nagpur with Bhandara, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and West Bengal is set to gather pace. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has begun the tender process to develop the Nagpur-Wainganga stretch of the Mumbai-Kolkata National Highway 53, between km 499.800 and km 541.800, into a state-of-the-art six-lane expressway.
The project is worth Rs 2,553.84 crore and will transform the 42-km stretch. Work is being advanced in phases according to the approved DPR and design. Actual work is likely to begin at the end of December, after the technical evaluation is completed. The land transfer required for it will also be completed. Under NHAI's plan, the target is to finish the entire project in two and a half years.
The proposed expressway will have a 10.5-metre-wide main carriageway of three lanes in each direction, with a 2.5-metre paved shoulder. A 5-metre-wide strong median and crash barrier will be built between traffic in the two directions, making vehicle movement safer and more controlled. Flyovers will be built at key junctions along the route to avoid traffic jams.
Pedestrian underpasses will be built for local residents and people on foot, while vehicle underpasses will be built for the safe movement of light vehicles. This will make major junctions free of traffic signals. Old bridges and box culverts over the Wainganga river area and other water bodies will be widened and rebuilt. Seven-metre-wide service roads, drainage and modern truck lay-bys for heavy vehicles will also be provided in residential areas.
The route linking Nagpur with Chhattisgarh, Odisha and West Bengal is an important economic corridor for central India, including Vidarbha. Heavy traffic currently causes motorists considerable difficulty on this road. Once the six-lane project is complete, freight is expected to move faster and logistics costs are likely to fall. As a result, industrial and business activity in Vidarbha will also get a major boost.
