Nagpur: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has floated a tender worth Rs2,553.84 crore to widen the remaining 42km stretch of NH-53 between Nagpur and Bhandara to six lanes.The project will bridge a major gap in the highway’s six-lane connectivity, as the Bhandara bypass and a section near Mauda have already been widened.Confirming the development, NHAI official Abhijit Jichkar told TOI that rising vehicular traffic on the highway had necessitated the project.“Land acquisition has already been completed. As soon as the tender is awarded, groundwork for the project will start,” he added.The proposed upgrade will include flyovers, underpasses, service roads and a modern drainage system. Existing bridges along the route will also be widened or reconstructed wherever required.Service roads will separate local traffic from long-distance vehicles, while flyovers and underpasses are expected to minimise interruptions at busy intersections.The project has an estimated construction period of 30 months. However, the actual completion timeline will depend on the award of the contract and the start of construction.The stretch is an important transport corridor connecting Nagpur with Bhandara and further to Chhattisgarh, Odisha and West Bengal.The six-laning is expected to increase the highway’s carrying capacity and ease bottlenecks along the corridor.
