Gadkari Inaugurates Eight Rail-Road Projects in Vidarbha.

Vidarbha marked a significant boost in rail-road connectivity recently as Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari inaugurated eight major infrastructure projects across the region. The projects include four road over bridges (RoBs), three subways (RuBs), and the long-awaited Lakadganj flyover in Nagpur, aimed at easing traffic congestion, improving road safety, and eliminating delays at railway level crossings.

The inaugurations were part of a larger state-level event that saw 12 major rail-road projects, worth ₹609 crore and constructed by Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (MRIDC), or MahaRail, dedicated to the public. While the projects span seven districts of Maharashtra, a significant number are located in Vidarbha, highlighting the region’s growing focus in infrastructure planning.

Addressing the event via video conferencing, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis noted that Maharashtra currently has 524 railway level crossings, of which 240 RoBs are being built by the railways, 73 by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), and the remaining 211 by MahaRail. Of these 211 sites, 80 lack any railway crossing or subway despite residential and commercial areas on both sides, causing severe traffic congestion, with 13 of these located in Nagpur. Fadnavis emphasized the government’s commitment to making Maharashtra “railway-crossing free.”

The main inauguration ceremony was held at Lakadganj in east Nagpur, where Gadkari opened the 1,372-metre-long flyover, a ₹135 crore urban mobility project funded by the Maharashtra Urban Development Department. The flyover is expected to significantly ease commuter traffic on the busy Old Bhandara Road corridor. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Public Works Minister Shivendraraje Bhosale, Minister of State Ashish Jaiswal, and other dignitaries were present.

In Vidarbha, the newly inaugurated RoBs are at Katol, Kalamna, Tirora, and Sakharwahi, while three subways have been constructed in Chandrapur and two in Amravati district. The structures are designed to remove dangerous level crossings, ensure smoother traffic flow, and reduce accident risks.

Executed under a 50:50 cost-sharing model between the Ministry of Railways and the Maharashtra government, the projects are expected to substantially reduce travel time and traffic congestion while boosting regional development. MahaRail Managing Director Rajesh Kumar Jaiswal noted that the subways are equipped with robust drainage systems and protective structures to prevent waterlogging during monsoon, ensuring long-term safety and reliability.