2 yrs after fatal accident, flyover yet to come up on Mirchi Chowk

Nashik: The construction work on the proposed flyover at Mirchi Chowk has yet to begin in spite of the plan receiving official approval about two years ago. The proposal received govt clearance in April 2023, following which tender formalities, including work order allocation nine months ago, were completed. However, the project site shows no signs of development. "The work on the 1,600-metre flyover across the Mirchi Chowk will begin soon. There are some small issues that the authorities are trying to address. We expect to start the work on the structure within a month's time," Arundhati Sharma, superintendent of the state PWD, Nashik, said.In the early hours of Oct 8, 2022, a Mumbai-bound private tourist bus collided with a truck at Mirchi Chowk on the Nashik-Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar highway, causing a fire that resulted in 12 immediate fatalities and one subsequent death at a hospital. Following the tragedy, then chief minister Eknath Shinde visited the site and assured the implementation of safety measures.The junction incorporates the Nashik Municipal Corporation's ‘Ring Road', linking Takli to Amrutdham, supporting heavy vehicle traffic between the Mumbai-Agra and Nashik-Pune national highways. "After the accident, encroachments around the spot were removed. Besides, the humps were raised and cat-eye ‘reflectors' were installed to warn the drivers about the crossing. All these are non-existent today. The road is bad, the reflectors have gone, the hump does not exist and there are huge potholes in the middle of the road," Nagesh Rakhate, a Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar resident who drives a private taxi to Nashik, said.The Nandur Nagar flyover faces comparable issues with its two crossings creating confusion. "There is huge traffic here, and the network of signals fails to streamline the movement of vehicles. We hope things are sorted out at the earliest," Vivek Pathak, a Nashik Road resident, said.A ‘Road Safety' meeting was held at the collectorate on Wednesday, chaired by Nashik MP Rajabhau Waje. This meeting followed a severe accident at Dwarka flyover on Sunday night, in which seven people lost their lives when a pickup van collided with a truck carrying protruding iron rods. The MP instructed officials to address Nashik district's accident-prone areas and develop solutions for motorists' challenges.Additionally, Dindori MP Bhaskar Bhagare has sought flyover construction at various locations, including Vani and other rural areas experiencing high traffic volume, to ensure smooth vehicular movement and public safety.