NH-160A upgradation between Ghoti and Palghar in Maharashtra has been approved at a total capital cost of ₹3,320.38 crore, with the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs clearing the 154.635 km rehabilitation and expansion project under Engineering, Procurement and Construction mode.
The corridor connects Ghoti, Trimbak, Jawhar, Manor and Palghar, and will be developed into a mix of two-lane and four-lane stretches with paved shoulders depending on traffic density.
The project is positioned as a strategic alternate route west of Nashik to relieve pressure on existing highways that are operating close to capacity.
Freight movement from Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation clusters in Ambad and Satpur currently passes through Nashik city via NH-848, contributing to congestion and travel delays.
The upgraded alignment is expected to divert this traffic via Trimbak, reducing load on urban roads while improving freight flow efficiency.
“Upgradation of NH-160A will provide an alternate route from these industrial areas via Triambak, bypassing the city and reducing congestion. The traffic from Mumbai (west side) and Southern side is expected to use Samrudhi Expressway through the interchange at Igatpuri on NH-848. Thereafter, the traffic would travel on NH-848 upto Ghoti and use NH-160A for travel to Trimbak and Nashik,” a government release said.
Projected traffic volumes from 2028 onwards are expected to exceed 10,000 Passenger Car Units per day on certain sections, warranting four-lane configuration under prevailing design standards.
On the western side, the corridor links with the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway (NE-4) and NH-48 near Manor and Palghar, providing improved access to the western coastal belt.
This integration enhances long-distance connectivity between Nashik, Palghar and Mumbai while also improving access to tribal regions in Palghar district.
Traffic distribution along the route varies significantly.
Sections currently carrying approximately 4,500 Passenger Car Units per day will be upgraded to two-lane roads with paved shoulders, while higher-density stretches such as Manor-Palghar, handling around 12,000 Passenger Car Units, will be expanded to four lanes.
This phased configuration reflects corridor-specific demand rather than uniform widening.
The project aligns with PM GatiShakti principles and connects six economic nodes, one social node and eight logistics nodes. Improved multimodal linkages are expected to strengthen freight redistribution across northern Maharashtra and reduce bottlenecks affecting supply chains moving toward Mumbai and the western ports.
Beyond traffic redistribution, the upgradation is expected to reduce travel time across the 154.635 km stretch while lowering vehicle operating costs through improved pavement quality and geometric design. Junction improvements and shoulder strengthening are projected to enhance road safety standards along accident-prone segments.
Employment generation under the project is estimated at approximately 19.98 lakh person-days of direct employment and 24.86 lakh person-days of indirect employment.
Construction activity is expected to stimulate ancillary economic activity across semi-urban and tribal regions along the alignment.
With industrial growth accelerating in the Nashik region and freight demand rising along the Mumbai-bound corridors, the NH-160A upgradation represents a strategic intervention designed to improve corridor resilience, redistribute traffic loads and strengthen connectivity between inland production centres and coastal markets.
