Old Kasara Ghat on Mumbai-Nashik highway closed for repair works; check alternative routes here

Light and heavy vehicles are prohibited from the Old Kasara Ghat section between 8 am and 6 pm, while over-dimensional cargo vehicles are restricted at all times.

The Old Kasara Ghat section of National Highway No. 3 (Mumbai-Nashik direction) has been closed for repair works (Express photo)

Written by: Sweety Adimulam

3 min readMumbaiFeb 24, 2025 02:24 PM IST First published on: Feb 24, 2025 at 02:23 PM IST

The Old Kasara Ghat section of National Highway No. 3 (Mumbai-Nashik direction) has been closed for repair works between 8 am and 6 pm from February 24 to 27, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)’s project implementation unit in Nashik announced. This section will once again be closed for repair works from March 3 to 6.

During these periods, both light and heavy vehicles will be prohibited from crossing this part of the highway. Also, the movement of over-dimensional cargo (ODC) vehicles will be restricted around the clock on the Mumbai-Nashik and Nashik-Mumbai routes. An official from NHAI Nashik said they aim to complete the work this week, eliminating the need for another traffic block. The repair work involves resurfacing the road with a bitumen layer.

To minimise traffic congestion, the state highway police have established alternative routes for public use. Dr Suresh Kumar Mekla, Additional Director General of Police (Traffic), Maharashtra, said all vehicles travelling towards Nashik on National Highway No. 3 will be diverted to the New Kasara Ghat near Chintamanwadi police station between 8 am and 6 pm.

ODC vehicles from Nashik to Mumbai will be redirected to National Highway No. 60, which runs from Nashik to Pune, and the Yashwantrao Chavan Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Likewise, ODC vehicles from Mumbai to Nashik will have to use the Yashwantrao Chavan Mumbai-Pune Expressway and National Highway No. 60 from Pune to Nashik. These restrictions will remain in effect until the road repair work is completed.

Safety provisions during diversion

Officials said two cranes with a minimum capacity of 20 tonnes are stationed at key locations to ensure safety during the diversion period. One crane is positioned at the Hotel Kasara Gate, where the diversion begins, and the other is located at Shivneri Point, where the New Kasara Ghat diversion starts. This setup allows for the immediate deployment of a crane to remove any vehicles that break down on either lane and transport them to a safe location, said officials.

In the event of an accident, an ambulance equipped with essential staff and first-aid supplies is stationed at Hotel Kasara Gate to transport the injured to the nearest hospital for treatment quickly. Barricades have been installed at the beginning and end points of the diversion (Latifwadi Cut Point and Shivneri Point) to manage traffic, ensuring that only one lane is open at a time, according to officials.

Additionally, large directional and caution signs are placed 100 meters ahead of the diversion points to inform drivers and encourage cautious driving. Plastic cones have been placed every 20 to 30 feet between the two lanes of the new Kasara Ghat, guiding vehicles to stay in their designated lanes, said officials.