The Great Nag Road stretch from Mokshdham to Dhantoli Police Station Square has become a major choke point, with the inner road beneath the Railway under bridge (RuB) in tatters and traffic coming from Congress Nagar, Mokshdham and Sitabuldi converging without control at the Square. Beneath the RuB, the carriageway has worn out completely. At one spot, the top layer has peeled off, exposing iron reinforcement rods in the middle of the road. Loose metal, gravel and uneven patches force vehicles to brake suddenly and swerve. Two-wheelers and autos crawl through, creating long queues that stretch back towards Mokshdham. Side walls are stained, dust is thick, and the riding surface is broken on both the lanes, making night travel risky. The road is critical as it connects South and East Nagpur to Sitabuldi, Government Medical College, Yashwant Stadium and Panchsheel Square. After Central Railway’s restoration of the over 100-year-old stone masonry bridge, two-way traffic was allowed through a single span, putting extra load on the already damaged inner road.

 

At Dhantoli Square, under the Metro viaduct, the situation turns worse during peak evening hours. Traffic flows in from four directions from Congress Nagar, from Mokshdham side through the RuB, from Sitabuldi and towards Dhantoli Police Station. Despite functional signals, motorists jump signal, take the wrong side and cut across the square. Autos, cars and two-wheelers jostle for space, blocking the intersection for minutes. Residents allege that traffic police are not regularly present at the signal. Barricades installed to regulate heavy traffic to prevent entry towards Yashwant Stadium and to streamline flow during peak hours are either shifted by motorists or left unmanned. Home guards are rarely seen during rush hours, allowing violations right under the signal. With NMC yet to concretise the underpass road, locals have demanded immediate repair of the inner road and deployment of traffic police at Dhantoli Square during peak hours.