Pachpaoli Still Choked: Narrow Roads & Squatters Stall Traffic

Nagpur: The dismantling of the decades-old Pachpaoli flyover has triggered massive traffic snarls in and around the Pachpaoli area. Poor road conditions and rampant encroachments on the already narrow stretch beneath the flyover have further compounded the chaos.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) began demolition work on the flyover on Tuesday, following conditional NOCs from the traffic department and railways. With the bridge now closed, vehicular movement has been diverted to the road beneath, which features two railway level crossings—leading to severe congestion.
"Due to the railway crossings, motorists are forced to stop twice within a short stretch for nearly 7–8 minutes. This results in long queues and bumper-to-bumper traffic," said Shailesh Shahu, a local resident.
The 1.5-km-long flyover had been a critical link for commuters traveling from Indora to Mahal, Agrasen Chowk, and Itwari. With its closure, travel times have tripled for those taking the underpass. Alternatives involve navigating through already congested Mominpura or opting for longer detours.
Traffic chaos has intensified under the bridge, as the narrow road—choked by encroachments and vendors—struggles to handle the diverted flow. DCP (Traffic) Archit Chandak, who recently resumed duty after recovering from injuries sustained during the Nagpur riots, acknowledged the issue.
"We have received multiple complaints. The road is narrow and includes two level crossings. We're taking steps to remove roadside encroachments and have instructed the contractor to deploy marshals for better traffic management. Barricades will also be placed to prevent lane-cutting, which is worsening the congestion," Chandak said. He is scheduled to visit the spot on Thursday.
ACP (Traffic) Madhuri Bawiskar inspected the area on Wednesday. The traffic department is currently evaluating further measures to ease congestion.