Believe It Or Not: Flyover Construction Continues Sans Gridlock On Busy RoadRs619cr Chinchbhuvan-Mihan flyover work progresses without traffic chaos

Nagpur: Large-scale infrastructure works are usually known to cause severe bottlenecks and long traffic snarls, but the ongoing construction of Rs619-crore Chinchbhuvan-Mihan Interchange flyover on Wardha Road has spared motorists of the hardships. Despite barricading and narrowing of carriageways on one of the city's busiest entry routes, traffic movement has remained comparatively smooth since the the National Highway division of the state Public Works Department (PWD) began foundation and pier construction work for the project. Officials attribute this to advance traffic planning and integration of service roads with the existing carriageway.PWD executive engineer Sanjeev Jagtap told TOI that the foundation work gained pace from the Mihan side. "So far, 35 foundations have been completed. We are planning to launch the first girder by next week," he said.Jagtap added that the department specifically focused on preventing congestion while planning the execution. "We merged the service road with the available Wardha Road carriageway. Necessary modifications were made in the existing (Right of Way) ROW to make maximum space available for traffic movement," he said.Wardha Road near Chinchbhuvan has a four-lane carriageway along with service roads. The stretch from Chinchbhuvan to Khapri, which serves as a key entry point for vehicles arriving from Hyderabad, Wardha, Yavatmal, Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra, has witnessed several accidents every year due to heavy traffic movement and congestion. Under the project, a 2.69-km-long six-lane flyover will be constructed from the existing Chinchbhuvan flyover to the Mihan Interchange. The project is expected to significantly reduce accidents and ease chronic congestion near Chinchbhuvan. The plan also includes reconstruction of the road beneath the flyover, widening of an additional 3.05-km stretch near the interchange to six lanes and construction of five culverts.The contract for the project was awarded to a Bhopal-based firm for Rs332 crore. The project is scheduled for completion by Nov 2027.Sources said the flyover is part of a larger plan to upgrade the Nagpur-Hyderabad corridor, with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) expected to undertake further widening of the road in the coming phase. The expansion is aimed at accommodating rising traffic volumes linked to Mihan and rapid urban growth in the southern parts of the city. Officials believe the upgraded corridor will improve road safety and ensure smoother traffic flow on the heavily used Wardha Road stretch.Sources said the flyover is part of a larger plan to upgrade the corridor, with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) expected to undertake further widening of the Nagpur-Hyderabad Road in the coming phase. The expansion is aimed at accommodating rising traffic volumes linked to MIHAN and rapid urban growth in the southern parts of the city.The Public Works Department (PWD) has currently begun construction activity from the MIHAN Interchange side and will gradually move towards Chinchbhuvan as the project progresses.