Centre approves 6-lane elevated corridor on NH-48 in Kagal

Kolhapur: Central govt has approved a six-lane elevated corridor on National Highway-48 in Kagal city, Kolhapur district, along with three-lane concrete service roads on both sides, at Rs 357.99 crore project to ensure uninterrupted traffic flow, Union minister for highways Nitin Gadkari announced on his official X account on Saturday.Gadkari said NH-48 was a crucial component of the Golden Quadrilateral network, linking major metropolitan centres like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru and Chennai. "Given the presence of a ‘five-Star' MIDC (Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation) industrial zone in Kagal, Kolhapur district, trade and industrial activities in this region are witnessing rapid growth. Consequently, the highway experiences a heavy volume of freight traffic, leading to severe traffic congestion and rising pollution levels. This situation is also adversely impacting the delivery of emergency services," the Union minister posted on X.The proposed elevated corridor, Gadkari said, would separate long-distance express traffic from local vehicles, easing urban movement and improving overall traffic flow. The project is expected to enhance safety, reduce travel time, cut fuel consumption and ease bottlenecks across the area.According to the Union minister, the upgrade will boost regional productivity, strengthen the industrial ecosystem and support timely emergency response, ultimately improving the efficiency of freight transportation.Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis thanked Gadkari through an X post, saying the decision would "give new wings to Kolhapur's development". He said the Rs 357.99-crore corridor would help decongest the highway and ensure safer, faster and more efficient movement while supporting industrial and logistics growth.The proposal for this elevated corridor in Kagal stretch had come forward as the section of the National Highway in Kagal used to get flooded under the flood waters of Vedganga river blocking the national highway traffic for multiple days. In 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024, the highway stretch had got affected under the flood waters disrupting the traffic movement.On Feb 12, a six-lane elevated corridor of 3.578kms over Panchaganga river adjacent to Kolhapur city was approved with a funds provision of Rs 913.7 crores allotted by central govt. After the approval of elevated corridor adjacent to Kolhapur city, the demand by public representatives for an elevated corridor at Kagal had also gained momentum with the centre.