Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari today (11 June) inaugurated the Shelad to Nandura project costing Rs 816 crore on Amravati-Chikhali National Highway-53 at Khamgaon in Buldhana district of Maharashtra.
National Highway-53 is an important link between the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
This highway also connects Nandurbar, Dhule, Jalgaon, Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, Nagpur and Bhandara districts of Maharashtra and has good connectivity to Raipur-Nagpur-Surat corridor or the East-West corridor.
The total length of the quadrangle project of Sadar Shelad-Nandura division is 45 km and includes 14 km greenfield bypasses, four major bridges, 16 minor bridges, 63 culverts, one road-over-bridge, eight vehicle underpasses, two pedestrian underpasses and 12 bus shelters.
This project is expected to be beneficial for the famous silver market of Silver City Khamgaon, which is a subdivision of Buldhana district.
With this project the traffic congestion in Khamgaon city is expected to reduce, and the vehicle underpass and the road-over-bridge will ensure the safety of road users.
The project will facilitate reaching Shegaon, Lonar or religiously and geographically important places. The project aims to lead to the development of tourism, health, education and employment generation in the region.
Under the central government’s Amrit Sarovar scheme of opening the ponds under the highway project, Jalkumbhachi has been constructed. This has helped in removing the problem of water-drainage in hot and dry areas like Khamgaon.
A programme was announced for the Malkapur-Buldhana-Chikhli road with a cost of Rs 1,200 crore and a 22 km road in Balapur-Shegaon at a cost of Rs 350 crore. Besides, approval was given for the work worth Rs 25 crore from Chikhali to Thakarkhed and other roads.