NAGPUR’S Wardha Road, one of the most important North-South connectors,is witnessing mounting traffic congestion despite massive investments in transport infrastructure. Thousands of crores have been spent on flyovers, widened cement roads, and theMetrocorridor along this stretch, yet commuters say the situation has only added to an already chaotic situation. A concerned citizen and student at National Law University (NLU) reached out to ‘The Hitavada’ todrawattention to the worsening situation,noting that the persistent congestion has caused grave inconvenience to hundreds who rely on this route each day.

 

He added that he had emailed the Commissioner of Police and the Traffic Police, Nagpur City, butnoresponsewasreceived,nor any visible action has been taken till date. The chaos typically sets in as early as 4.30pm along thestretch from Lokmat Square to Rahate Colony Square. Ongoing roadwork between Lokmat Square and Gorakshan has narrowed the stretch, creating bottlenecks that intensify when buses attempt to pass through the constricted space. The ripple effect is immediate. Vehicles pile up, tempers flare up, and what begins as a minors low down quickly escalates into a prolonged stand still.

 

Ajni Square: The epicentre of jam WHILE congestion plagues multiple points on Wardha Road, commuters identify Ajni Square as the worst-hit zone. From approximately 5.30 pm to 8.30 pm, traffic frequently grinds to a halt. Kanchan Ghadge, a resident ofUjjwalNagar, said,“Even though the roads have been cemented, there is no respite in the traffic condition. At night, I have been stuck in traffic jams here for well over 40 minutes. It normally takesme 15minutes at the most to go from my house to Rahate Colony, but during peak hours, that commute has stretched to nearly an hour on some occasions. Ihave also seen ambulances stuck on theseroads so many times.” Residents have also observed the absence of traffic police deployment during peak congestion, evenwhen the situation becomes unmanageable. The backlog frequently spills over into near by areas such asRahate Colony Square and the Shaheed Gowari fly-over.

 

 During the afternoon, commuters regularly encounter slow-moving traffic along the stretch right from Samvidhan Square to Lokmat Square. The narrowing of lanes, combined with high traffic volume, has turned the road into a prolonged choke point.

 

Infra growth, yet limited relief WARDHA Road has undergone rapid infrastructure expansion in recent years, with projects aimed at improving capacity and easing movement.However, the persistenceof severecongestion despite these upgrades suggests that expansion alonemaynotbe sufficient without co-ordinated planning that accounts for traffic flow, volume, and future demand.This trendmirrors traffic conditions at several other busy inter sections in Nagpur, raising concerns about whether currentinfrastructure strategies are aligned with the city’s fastgrowing mobility needs. What may appear to be a routine traffic problem is steadily evolving into a serious urban concern. With roadwork ongoing, vehicle numbers rising, and limited on-ground traffic management, commuters fear that the situation could worsen unless swift corrective measures are implemented. For now, as engines idle and horns echo through the evening air, Wardha Road stands as a stark reminder of the growing pains of an expanding city, where infrastructure struggles to keep pace with mobility demands