Nagpur: Five months after its bhoomipoojan, the Public Works Department (PWD) has finally commenced the long-awaited concretisation of a 6.4km stretch of Kamptee Road from RBI Square to Automotive Square. This major infrastructure project aims to improve one of Nagpur's busiest traffic corridors. While the project promises long-term benefits, the timing of the work, coinciding with the onset of the monsoon, has raised concerns about traffic congestion and commuter inconvenience.
Project Details and Timeline
The commencement of work on Kamptee Road comes at a time when the PWD is already executing the concretisation of Wardha Road between Rahate Colony and Zero Mile. Once both projects are completed, motorists will get a seamless concrete road corridor of nearly 9km from Rahate Colony to Automotive Square, passing through some of the city's most heavily used commercial and residential zones.
According to a PWD official, the work order for the Kamptee Road project was issued in May. Although the project was originally estimated at around 150 crore, it was awarded for 77 crore, including utility shifting and associated works. The official stated: "We have currently started work from Automotive Square side from the right side of around 2km out of the total 6.4km long project. We have reached Nari Metro Station. In the first phase, we are planning to do road concretisation till Gurudwara and back to Automotive Square, which will take around eight months. We will also resolve the chronic waterlogging issue at the underpass near the Gurudwara. We are also taking all measures to avoid traffic congestion."
Second Phase and Deadline
The official further stated that the remaining stretch between Gurudwara and RBI Square would be taken up in the second phase. "The deadline of the project is 18 months, but we are planning to complete it before time," the official added.
Traffic Concerns on Wardha Road
Traffic concerns have also emerged on Wardha Road, where one lane between Rani Jhansi Square and Lokmat Square has been closed for the ongoing 25 crore concretisation project. The closure has forced traffic onto a single lane in several sections, leading to peak-hour bottlenecks and longer travel times. Wardha Road, which transitions into Kamptee Road beyond RBI Square, serves as one of Nagpur's most critical arterial routes. It connects key areas such as Sitabuldi, Dhantoli, Railway Station Road, Sadar, Indora, and several commercial hubs.
With monsoon rains expected to arrive soon, commuters fear that reduced carriageway widths, waterlogging, and slower vehicle movement could significantly worsen congestion along these stretches. Given the importance of the corridor, the dual road projects are expected to affect thousands of commuters in the coming months, even as authorities assure efforts are being made to minimise disruptions and complete the works.
