NHAI mulls highway underpass

NASHIK: If the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has its way, a drive through the Rasbihari junction along the Mumbai-Agra national highway will be smoother and safer soon.
To make things easier for motorists, who often have to apply brakes while crossing through the Rasbihari junction because of frequent obstruction by other vehicles, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has proposed to construct an underpass at the busy intersection.
NHAI officials said a proposal in this connection has been sent to its headquarters and is subject to its approval. The underpass is important as Nashik Peth road has been declared a national highway and the volume of traffic, using the ring road linking the Mumbai Agra Highway from Rasbihari School with MERI, Dindori Road and Peth Road, is huge.
Vehicles coming from the Manmad-Malegaon side of the highway have to cross the highway near Rasbihari School to take Peth road from the RTO corner. Similarly, vehicles coming from Peth road and proceeding towards Mumbai or Pune also use the same stretch and have to cross the Mumbai Agra Highway from near the school.
As a result, motorists on the Mumbai Agra highway are continuously obstructed near the Rasbihari school and the underpass, if constructed, will obstruction-free traffic on the highway along the section.
Senior inspector of the Adgaon police station Bajirao Mahajan said, "On an average, at least 10 accidents occur on the national highway between Panchavati College and Adgaon check post. A couple of them are fatal. The areas prone to accidents are K K Wagh College, Rasbihari school and the road in front of Jatra hotel."
If approved, the underpass will add to existing ones and flyovers along the highway in between Garware point and Adgaon. At present, there are three underpasses - Indiranagar, Rane Nagar and Phalke Smarak - on the highway, apart from the Pathardi, Garware, Lekhanagar and Adgaon flyovers.
Another facility is the 6.1-km elevated corridor between Indiranagar jogging track and Meenatai Thackeray stadium.