Bidding deadline for road widening extended by NMC

Nashik: The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has decided to extend the bidding deadline for the development and widening of the 6.3-kilometer stretch of the Nashik-Pune highway by 15 days.This decision comes after a lackluster response from contractors regarding the project, which covers the route from Dwarka to Datta Mandir. Originally, the civic body had issued the Rs 203-crore tender on March 17, seeking a partner to handle the asphalting of the main highway and the parallel service roads running alongside the Nashik Road flyover.This extension provides potential bidders with additional time to submit their proposals for the significant infrastructure upgrade. The project is a vital part of the city's plan to improve traffic flow and road quality on one of its busiest corridors.The work is to be completed within a year from the issuance of the work order. The city segment of this highway will also be widened from the existing six lanes to 10 lanes ahead of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela scheduled next year.Earlier, the NMC had urged the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to develop the 6.4 km stretch and sought funding for the project. The civic body had initially proposed white-topping for the entire corridor and submitted a detailed plan. However, during discussions between senior officials of both agencies, NHAI advised opting for asphalting instead of white topping.Following this, the NMC officials prepared a revised proposal to widen the road to 10 lanes and carry out asphalting. After the NHAI's consent, the civic body started the tender process.An NMC official, while talking to TOI, said the civic body plans to finalise the tendering process quickly and issue the work order to the eligible firm at the earliest."The target is to complete the widening by March 2027, a crucial deadline since the Kumbh Mela preparations across Nashik have entered a time-sensitive phase," the official said.The Dwarka–Nashik Road corridor is among the busiest stretches in Nashik city, carrying continuous intercity and regional traffic. The route is used by vehicles heading towards Pune, Shirdi and the Sinnar industrial belt, apart from heavy local movement. The large concentration of commercial establishments along the route adds to the congestion, making the widening project essential and long overdue.