"DPR initiated for Kopargaon–Malegaon four-laning; Yevla bypass feasibility study underway."

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is set to begin work on preparing the detailed project report (DPR) for the concrete 4-laning of the Kopargaon–Malegaon highway, which passes through Yevla and Manmad towns in Nashik district. The project will also explore the feasibility of constructing a bypass around Yevla town to ease traffic congestion.

An NHAI official said, “The DPR will study options, costs, and the overall impact of the project, including a potential bypass around Yevla. This comes in response to public demand for reducing traffic congestion in the town.”

Yevla is a key junction where the Nashik–Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar highway intersects with the Kopargaon–Malegaon highway. The town connects major cities including Nashik, Malegaon, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Ahilyanagar, and Pune, making it a significant transit hub for north and west Maharashtra.

The toll plaza at Pimpalgaon Jalal on the Kopargaon–Yeola–Manmad–Malegaon road has been closed after its term expired, and the road has now been handed over to the NHAI. It is officially designated as NH-160H and NH-752G.

The highway experiences heavy traffic, particularly through Yeola city, where shops and markets along the route often cause jams, inconvenience to commuters, and occasional accidents. In response, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal has called for a bypass via Babhulgaon–Angangaon–Paregaon to divert heavy vehicles away from the town.

The DPR preparation marks the first step in a major upgrade aimed at improving connectivity, traffic flow, and safety along this vital corridor.