Karad-Chiplun highway stretch to remain shut for 2 months as infra works begin in Patan

Kolhapur: The highway stretch between Karad and Chiplun in Ratnagiri district has been closed to traffic for two months to facilitate the demolition and reconstruction of the crucial Dhande Bridge underway, along with extensive concreting of market roads, in Satara's Patan town, setting the stage for a massive infrastructure overhaul in the region.The closure strikes at the heart of regional mobility. The National Highway 166E is one of the most vital ghat routes linking western Maharashtra with the Konkan coast, heavily relied upon by travellers from Pune, Mumbai, Solapur and Sangli heading towards Ratnagiri. For many, it is the fastest and most dependable passage through the hills.Until now, both light and multi-axle heavy vehicles used the highway seamlessly. While a bypass has been arranged for light vehicles, heavy vehicles face a tougher road ahead. The alternate route for smaller vehicles passes through Nerle Gound, where a bridge built in 1970 stands as a structural limitation — unable to bear the weight of heavy traffic. "As a result, trucks and state transport buses are being diverted via the longer and more winding Amba Ghat route (Karad, Pachwad, Undale, Kokrud, Malkapur, Amba Ghat and Sangameshwar)," inspector V G Dhas of the Satara district traffic police said."This diversion will stretch travel time for heavy vehicles from three hours to nearly four, with the distance almost doubling to 173km from 95km," Dhas said.The project was originally slated to begin in late March. The Satara police had even issued notifications detailing traffic diversions then. But plans hit a roadblock when a major tourism festival took precedence.Officials said light vehicles were being redirected through Navarasta, Gavhanwadi Phata and Nerle Gound — skirting Patan town, the hometown of Satara's guardian minister and state tourism minister Shambhuraj Desai. They said adequate police deployment was in place to ensure smooth traffic.It was on March 27 that Desai directed the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation to demolish Dhande Bridge, construct a new one and convert Patan's battered internal roads into concrete. "We have told the police department to ensure commuters and locals can navigate the alternative routes easily, and that heavy vehicles are strictly diverted through Amba Ghat, not roads meant for light vehicles," Desai had said earlier.