The National Highways Authority of India has floated a Rs2,553.84 crore tender to widen the remaining 42km of the Nagpur-Bhandara highway on NH-53 to six lanes, completing a major upgrade on the corridor connecting eastern Maharashtra with central and eastern India.
NHAI official Abhijit Jichkar confirmed the tender to the Times of India, saying rising vehicular traffic on the highway had made the project necessary. Land acquisition for the stretch has already been completed, allowing construction activity to begin after the contract is awarded.
The project covers the remaining two-lane section between Nagpur and Bhandara. The Bhandara bypass and a section near Mauda have already been widened, leaving this 42km stretch as a significant gap in six-lane connectivity along the route.
The proposed works will include flyovers, underpasses, service roads and a modern drainage system. Existing bridges will be widened or reconstructed wherever required as part of the highway upgrade. Service roads are planned to separate local traffic from long-distance vehicles, while grade-separated crossings are intended to reduce interruptions at busy intersections.
The corridor carries traffic between Nagpur and Bhandara and also serves longer-distance movement towards Chhattisgarh, Odisha and West Bengal. The six-laning is expected to increase the highway’s carrying capacity and address bottlenecks along the route. For local communities and road users, the planned service roads and underpasses will determine how effectively local access is maintained while through traffic moves along the upgraded highway.
According to NHAI, the estimated construction period is 30 months. The actual start of work will depend on the award of the tender and the subsequent commencement of construction. The authority has not indicated a final completion date beyond the project’s estimated construction period.
The tender marks the next implementation step after land acquisition, shifting the project from preparatory work to contract award. Construction is expected to begin once the tender process is completed and the successful contractor receives the order to proceed.
