Cabinet clears Rs 3,320 crore for upgradation of 154-km NH

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the rehabilitation and upgradation of the Ghoti-Trimbak (Mokhada)-Jawhar-Manor-Palghar section of National Highway 160A in Maharashtra at a total capital cost of ₹3,320.38 crore.

The 154.635-km project will be executed on Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode and will upgrade the corridor to a mix of two-lane and four-lane configurations with paved shoulders.

The region west of Nashik, particularly Ambad and Satpur, houses a dense cluster of industries developed by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), generating significant freight traffic. Currently, much of this traffic passes through Nashik city via NH-848, adding pressure on already saturated routes.

Traffic on NH-848 (six lanes) from Mumbai ranges between 50,000–60,000 Passenger Car Units (PCUs) per day, while NH-60 (four lanes) from Pune handles 40,000-50,000 PCUs daily – both operating near Level of Service (LOS)-C capacity.

The upgradation of NH-160A will provide an alternate route via Trimbak, bypassing Nashik city and easing congestion. Traffic from Mumbai and southern Maharashtra is expected to use the Mumbai–Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg via the Igatpuri interchange on NH-848, then connect to NH-160A through Ghoti.

From 2028 onwards, projected traffic on the Ghoti-Trimbak stretch is expected to exceed 10,000 PCUs per day, qualifying it for four-laning.

The western stretch from Trimbak to Manor and Palghar links NH-160A to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway (NE-4), NH-48 and the western coastal belt. It also improves access to tribal areas in Palghar district.

While the Trimbak-Manor section currently carries around 4,323 PCUs daily and will be upgraded to two lanes with paved shoulders, the Manor-Palghar urban stretch – with traffic of about 12,455 PCUs – will be expanded to four lanes for smoother flow.

The project will connect key infrastructure, including the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg, NH-848 and NH-48, along with several state highways.

Planned in line with PM Gati Shakti principles, the corridor will connect six economic nodes, one tribal social node and eight logistics nodes across Maharashtra. These include SEZs at Tarapur and Boisar, industrial parks at Palghar and Mokhada, and cooperative industrial estates at Wada and Tarapur.

The upgraded highway will also improve access to tourist and religious destinations such as Trimbakeshwar, Jawhar Rajwada, Vaitarna River, Kevla Beach, Arnala Fort and Tungeshwar Sanctuary.

Logistics connectivity will be strengthened through links to major railway stations at Palghar, Nashik and Shirdi; airports at Ozar, Shirdi and Mumbai; and ports including Vadhavan and JNPT.

Of the total ₹3,320.38 crore cost, civil works account for ₹2,594.49 crore, while land acquisition is estimated at ₹725.89 crore.

The project is expected to generate approximately 19.98 lakh person-days of direct employment and 24.86 lakh person-days of indirect employment during construction, besides creating additional economic activity along the corridor.