Commuters cheer proposed 10-laning of Nashik Road-Dwarka stretch

Nashik: Daily commuters on the busy stretch between Nashik Road and Dwarka on the Pune highway are excited over the proposed 10-laning of the route, citing it as a long-overdue solution to their daily traffic struggles.Persistent congestion at key chokepoints — including Dwarka junction, Kathe Galli, Fame signal, Upnagar, and Datta Mandir — currently leaves motorists exhausted. Many believe that adding two lanes to either side of the existing road will provide the necessary capacity to handle the heavy vehicular load.A major highlight of the project is the construction of a grade separator at the Dwarka junction. "Currently, many commuters use the Kathe Galli–Mumbai Naka stretch specifically to avoid the chaos at Dwarka. Once the grade separator is ready, people will likely return to the main junction, which would also reduce the secondary pressure on Mumbai Naka," said Ravi Godse, a financial consultant from the Bodhlenagar area.Motorists pointed out that the stretch from Sinnar Phata to Dwarka is currently highly vulnerable to disruptions. Even a minor accident or a vehicle breakdown can result in tailbacks stretching over one to two kilometers within minutes."On the stretch between Upnagar junction and Dr. Ambedkar Nagar, if a truck or bus breaks down by the roadside, it creates an immediate bottleneck. There is barely one lane left for moving traffic," noted Mohan Diwane, a resident of Nashik Road.Senior officials from the city's traffic branch corroborated these concerns, stating that the Pune highway infrastructure between Dwarka and Nashik Road has become inadequate for the current volume of traffic.Beyond the road widening, commuters highlighted heavy heavy-vehicle movement as a primary cause of the gridlock. They suggested that while 10-laning is a positive step, providing an alternative bypass for trucks traveling between Sinnar and Dwarka would be a more permanent solution to easing the burden on this urban thoroughfare.