New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Narendra Modi, approved the NH-160A upgradation project in Maharashtra at a total capital cost of Rs 3,320.38 crore.
The project covers the Ghoti–Trimbak (Mokhada)–Jawhar–Manor–Palghar section of NH-160A. It spans 154.635 km and will be executed under the Engineering, Procurement and Construction mode. Authorities will upgrade the corridor to two-lane and four-lane configurations with paved shoulders.
The NH-160A upgradation project aims to ease traffic pressure around Nashik. Industrial clusters at Ambad and Satpur generate heavy freight movement. Currently, much of this traffic passes through Nashik city via NH-848. As a result, urban roads face congestion close to Level of Service-C capacity.
NH-848 from Mumbai handles 50,000 to 60,000 passenger car units per day. Meanwhile, NH-60 from Pune carries 40,000 to 50,000 PCUs daily. Therefore, officials expect the upgraded NH-160A corridor to serve as an alternate route via Trimbak and bypass city congestion.
NH-160A upgradation project to link expressways and tribal districts
The NH-160A upgradation project will connect to the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway and the Mumbai–Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg. It will also integrate with NH-848 and NH-48. Consequently, freight and passenger vehicles will gain smoother regional access.
Traffic from Mumbai and southern regions is expected to use the Samruddhi Expressway interchange at Igatpuri. Thereafter, vehicles can travel on NH-848 to Ghoti and shift to NH-160A towards Trimbak and Nashik. From 2028 onwards, projected daily traffic is expected to exceed 10,000 PCUs, qualifying sections for four-laning.
The Trimbak–Manor stretch currently handles about 4,323 PCUs per day. However, the Manor–Palghar section records nearly 12,455 PCUs daily. Therefore, authorities proposed four-laning in urban built-up areas for smoother flow.
The project aligns with PM Gati Shakti principles. It will connect six economic nodes, several social nodes and eight logistics hubs across Maharashtra. These include SEZs at Tarapur and Boisar, industrial parks at Palghar and Mokhada, and major railway stations such as Palghar, Nashik and Shirdi.
Officials estimate that the NH-160A upgradation project will generate about 19.98 lakh person-days of direct employment. In addition, it may create 24.86 lakh person-days of indirect employment. The corridor is expected to reduce travel time and vehicle operating costs while improving infrastructure in tribal regions of Palghar district.
