Nagpur: The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court was informed on Thursday that the proposed tiger corridor along the Nagpur–Katol highway will be completed by 2028, after the National Highways Authority of India submitted a detailed project timeline in response to a public interest litigation alleging prolonged delays in the highway work.Recording the completion schedule placed on affidavit, a division bench comprising Justices Anil Kilor and Raj Wakode disposed of the PIL filed by Katol residents Dinesh Sheshrao Thakre and Sumit Babuta through counsel Mahesh Dhatrak, who raised concerns that construction on the Nagpur–Katol road remained stalled for nearly 6 months, causing inconvenience to commuters and casting uncertainty over the proposed wildlife corridor.During the hearing, the Court expressed displeasure over the delay and sought a clear and time-bound completion schedule from the highway authority. Following the Court’s observations, NHAI Project Director Chandrakant Sinha filed an affidavit outlining the phased implementation plan for the project.According to the authority, the tender process for Tiger Corridor-1 began in October 2025, and a work order is expected to be issued by March 2026. Construction of this section will be completed within 18 months from the date of the work order, placing its likely completion by December 2027.The authority further informed that work on Tiger Corridor-2 is currently awaiting environmental clearance. Once approval is granted by the National Board for Wildlife, a revised proposal will be submitted in June 2026, and a work order is expected by October 2026. Construction of the second phase will take 24 months after the work order is issued, extending the overall completion timeline of the corridor to 2028.The wildlife corridor, spanning roughly 12 kilometres, will pass outside the limits of Katol city. Authorities clarified that because the alignment bypasses the urban area, existing traffic movement in Katol will not be disrupted during construction.
