Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Daily traffic congestion is being reported on the Jalgaon highway at Savangi village during morning and evening peak hours due to the absence of traffic signals and traffic police at key junctions. On polling day Saturday morning and again on Sunday from around 5 pm, traffic remained stalled for nearly two hours, with vehicle queues stretching about two km towards the Samruddhi Expressway and one km towards Harsul, causing inconvenience to motorists.
Traffic on the highway has increased sharply following the opening of the Samruddhi Expressway and the Cambridge turning road, making even the four-lane stretch inadequate. The lack of signals at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk on the Cambridge road and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Chowk towards Naigaon has aggravated the problem, affecting commuters, traders and villagers twice daily.
The road sees heavy movement of vehicles from Sillod, Phulambri, Soygaon and Jalgaon, with traffic further rising on weekends and holidays due to villagers and tourists heading to the Ajanta Caves. Residents have also reported an increase in accidents between the Samruddhi Expressway and Harsul.
Villagers, including Jamir Sayyed and Sunil Jagdale, have demanded traffic signals at the two main junctions and construction of service roads on both sides from the Samruddhi Expressway to Harsul. Due to frequent congestion, motorists divert through narrow village lanes, leading to internal road blockages. Shivkumar Jagdale said the issue was raised with MLA Anuradha Chavan during her visit for Zilla Parishad election polling.
Savangi falls under Phulambri police station limits, but villagers alleged that no effective steps are being taken, claiming the local police outpost exists only on paper and the beat staff ignore the recurring congestion.