Month’s after Ajit Pawar’s intervention, NHAI fast-tracks Mumbai–Nashik highway expansion and land acquisition for eight-lane elevated corridor

Pune: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is set to deliberate on expansion of the 90km stretch of the Mumbai–Nashik highway from Vadpe near Mumbai to Gonde near Nashik, Nearly eight months after late deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar flagged the deteriorating condition of key national highways in the state. Senior officials said on Tuesday that the proposal for six-laning of the corridor will have to be examined as the Samruddhi corridor now runs parallel to the route. "A request was placed last year. We will have to deliberate on the six-laning, keeping in view traffic patterns and the parallel expressway," an official said.
Officials clarified that repairs have been carried out on Vadape–Gonde section and the road is in good condition now. Some important works on the Mumbai–Nashik section of NH are also in the pipeline considering the expected surge in traffic for the Kumbh Mela in Nasik next year, said officials.In July 2025, Pawar wrote a series of letter to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, highlighting the "alarming" alarming condition of Pune–Nashik and Nashik–Mumbai highways. He said both the highways were riddled with potholes, resulting in a surge in accidents. He said despite regular toll collection, there was little visible improvement in road quality and safety, and sought urgent and durable repairs of the highways.He also demanded widening of three major highways in Pune region: NH 60 (Nashik Phata to Khed) — from four lanes to six, NH 65 (Hadapsar to Yavat) — from four lanes to six, NH 548D (Talegaon–Chakan–Shikrapur) — from two lanes to four to ease congestion.He said these highways pass through crucial industrial and residential zones, including IT hubs and automobile manufacturing clusters, and their poor condition causes severe bottlenecks and mental distress for commuters. Officials said that on the 208-km Pune–Nashik highway NH-60, 177 km falls under NHAI's jurisdiction, while the remaining stretch is within the NH wing of PWD Maharashtra.An eight-lane elevated corridor, spanning around 30km, has been proposed from Nashik Phata to Khed, to ease congestion in the city. The project has a completion window of 36 months.The Nashik Phata–Rajgurunagar elevated corridor project is being implemented by NHAI. "The bidding process has already been initiated. Land acquisition is at an advanced stage and is likely to be completed by March 15", stated officials from NHAI. Senior NHAI sources told TOI that the project is being monitored closely at the highest level, with regular reviews of land acquisition and bidding processes to ensure timely completion. A senior NHAI official has also intimated the Chakan Industries Association, which has been demanding development of the corridor to ease traffic in the industrial belt. Commuters have also been demanding widening of the corridor for long.Officials added that the remaining length of NH-60 Pune–Nashik highway from Khed to Sinnar(about 105 km) is being concretised. "This is intended to enhance durability of the road. Overall, about 50% of the concretisation work has been completed, and NHAI aims to finish the entire stretch before June 2026 through its contractors," officials said.