Nagpur: Three bridges on Katol-Warud national highway in Nagpur district, pending for over six years due to land acquisition and forest clearance delays, have finally received a fresh work order after Rs136 crore was sanctioned, Maharashtra legislative council was informed on Monday.Public works minister Shivendraraje Bhosale, replying to a starred question raised by MLC Abhijit Wanjarri, said administrative approval of Rs136.35 crore was granted in February 2025 for the remaining 4.51km stretch on NH-353J covering the bridge locations at Paradsinga, Bharsinghi and Jalalkheda but the tender acceptance letter was issued to the contractor on December 15, 2025, and the work is to be completed within one year.The three bridge sites are part of a larger cement concretization project on Katol-Warud road approved in 2017. Work on 35.935km — km 60/100 to km 100/565 stretch — was completed in January 2020. The remaining 4.51 km, which includes the three bridges, could not be taken up as the required land acquisition and forest department permissions were not available.Bhosale said the approach roads on both sides of the existing old bridges are on sharp bends, which has caused accidents and made traffic hazardous. As an interim measure, tar renewal work was carried out on the stretch in November 2025 and traffic is currently running on the existing road. Signboards have been placed at necessary locations. Once the new bridges and road are complete, the approach curves will be eliminated under the revised alignment.The question was raised by Wanjarri along with Satej Patil, Ashok Jagtap, Sudhakar Adbale, Dhiraj Lingade, Jayant Asgaonkar and Rajesh Rathod.
