Decision on Nashik expressway soon

The State Government had announced the construction of the 200 km expressway about a year ago, through private participation. The project had been based on a survey carried out by M/s Wilber Smith Associates Inc. USA in 1994. The project cost was estimated to be around Rs 2,100 crore. Thesurveyors had suggested four routes for the expressway over a 40 km stretch near Nashik city. According to all the four routes suggested, the expressway was to break away from the existing Mumbai-Agra highway at Vadivarhe, 20 km south of Nashik, and rejoin it at Adgaon, 10 km north of the city. The proposed stretch from Vadivarhe to Adgaon had spread panic among builders, developers and architects, as they had already bought lands and even constructed buildings on the proposed routes.

Of the four routes, three passed through the city on the eastern side of the existing highway, cutting through private properties, while the fourth one was suggested on the western side of the highway, over agricultural land.

The builders’ lobby conducted a survey on November 25 and 26, 1997, which found that 70 per cent of the city’s vehicles were registered outside Nashik and were passing through it. This justified construction of an expressway to reduce city traffic. The lobby has suggested that the expressway shouldbypass the city and nine ring-roads should be laid to connect important roads in the city.

A delegation of the Architects’ and Builders Association led by Krishnabhushan Mahashabde, which met Gadkari, said that the minister favoured the changes suggested by it.