Nashik civic body begins work on eight new bridges to ease rush during Kumbh

Nashik: The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has commenced work on eight new bridges across the Godavari river and its tributaries to boost connectivity ahead of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela scheduled in 2027.The civic body plans to complete all the bridges by March 2027, in time for the mega religious congregation that is expected to draw around 8 crore devotees to the city. The project, estimated to cost around Rs 160 crore, is aimed at decongesting key routes and ensuring smoother vehicular as well as pedestrian movement during the Kumbh period.A civic official, while talking to TOI, said contracts have already been awarded to private agencies through the tendering process, and groundwork at multiple locations has begun.One of the key components of the project is the proposed "Ram Jhula" near the Ram Setu bridge on the Godavari river. The structure, designed as the city's first cable-stayed pedestrian bridge, will connect Balaji Kot to the Ganeshwadi vegetable market. Estimated to cost around Rs25 crore, the bridge is expected to significantly ease pedestrian movement between the two riverbanks during peak Kumbh.In Panchavati, a new bridge will be constructed parallel to the existing one near the Laxmi Narayan temple at an estimated cost of Rs21 crore. Another bridge linking Gharpure Ghat to Ramwadi is planned at a cost of Rs24 crore to reduce congestion on the existing route. "The Ramwadi bridge will be located close to the current structure to handle increased traffic volumes," the official said.Additional projects include a new bridge near the Tapovan sewage treatment plant (STP), estimated at Rs 35 crore, as well as bridges at Trimbak-Pimpalgaon Bahula (Rs 11.51 crore) and Vadner (Rs 16.82 crore). The plan also covers the strengthening of the Gadge Maharaj bridge along with a new down ramp, and construction of another bridge at Milind Nagar costing Rs19.23 crore."The bridges are being planned to improve last-mile connectivity across several busy and densely populated areas of the city. With a sharp rise in footfall expected during the Kumbh Mela, the additional infrastructure is expected to play a crucial role in streamlining traffic flow and enhancing overall mobility," the official said.