Nagpur’s Manewada–Mhalgi Nagar flyover project is worsening traffic and road safety conditions on the Inner Ring Road, with construction of its crucial connecting span yet to begin despite the tender being awarded in May 2026. Motorists may face narrowed carriageways, potholes, barricades and bottlenecks for up to another two years as the three-in-one elevated corridor takes shape.
The 1.5-km connecting flyover between Manewada and Mhalgi Nagar squares has a 24-month construction period after work starts. A Public Works Department official told the Times of India that work is likely to begin next week and is expected to be completed within 18 months. The difference between the official completion estimate and the stated construction period has not been explained in the report.
The connecting structure is intended to join two flyovers currently being built at Manewada and Mhalgi Nagar into a continuous 2.80-km elevated corridor. The two original flyovers received administrative approval of approximately ₹73 crore each, while their tenders were awarded for less than ₹50 crore each. The connecting flyover received administrative approval of ₹185 crore and was awarded at ₹106 crore.
The project expanded after Union minister Nitin Gadkari performed the bhoomipujan for the Manewada and Mhalgi Nagar flyovers in August 2024. During the ceremony, he proposed linking the two structures. The state government subsequently approved the connecting flyover and revised the design to create one uninterrupted elevated route.
Under the revised design, the descending ramp after Manewada Square and the ascending ramp before Mhalgi Nagar Square were removed so that the three structures could merge. Construction of the two original flyovers has already reduced the available road space through barricaded stretches and narrowed carriageways, while the connecting work has not yet started.
The road surface has also deteriorated despite repeated repair attempts. Potholes, loose gravel and uneven stretches have been reported along the route, with heavy traffic causing patched sections to weaken quickly. The road conditions are particularly hazardous for two-wheelers, while barricades have slowed vehicles and contributed to long queues during peak hours.
Mangesh Patre, a regular commuter, said the uneven road had caused two-wheelers to skid and that large craters remained at several locations. He also expressed concern that traffic conditions could worsen once work on the connecting flyover begins.
According to sources cited by the Times of India, the PWD’s World Bank division received administrative approval for the connecting project in February 2025 but awarded the tender only on May 15, 2026. Construction had not begun even five months after the tender was awarded, the sources said. The PWD official, however, said work was likely to start the following week.
The immediate next step is the commencement of construction on the connecting span. The authority’s stated completion target is 18 months from the start of work, while the project details carry a 24-month construction period.
