The Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) has approved a 36-metre-wide, 7-km road linking the Sardar Patel Ring Road with the South West Ahmedabad Sports Arena (SWASA) in Godhavi, strengthening planned access to one of the city’s venues for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
The approval also covers the rezoning of more than 5 lakh square metres of land within 200 metres on either side of the proposed road. The land will be changed from General Agricultural Zone to Residential Zone-2, according to the proposal placed before the AUDA board.
An AUDA official said the authority had earlier proposed a 90-metre-wide road under Town Planning Scheme No. 429 of Manipur-Godhavi. The road passes through Godhavi’s General Agricultural Zone, classified as A1. Implementation has already been completed for the section running from VIP Road to the railway line, the official said.
However, there is currently no direct road connectivity to Town Planning Scheme No. 457 in Godhavi or from the SP Ring Road, according to AUDA. Vehicles travelling from the ring road to SWASA presently use Bopal-Ghuma Road towards Manipur, pass through a railway underpass that is less than 7 metres wide, and then continue via Manipur village road.
That route covers about 10 km and takes approximately 30 minutes, the official said. Waterlogging in the underpass during the monsoon can disrupt traffic, adding an operational constraint to access between the ring road and the planned sports arena.
Another AUDA official said a 36-metre-wide road had been proposed in the development plan to connect the SP Ring Road with Shilaj, Bopal, Manipur and Godhavi. The approved road will run for about 7 km westward from the ring road towards the canal area, with part of the alignment passing through Manipur village.
AUDA has selected approximately 15 lakh square metres of privately owned land in Godhavi for SWASA. The land allocation has been planned for the Commonwealth Games and also factors in the possibility of hosting the Olympics. Sports infrastructure at the site is proposed to be developed through a public-private partnership model.
SWASA is one of several designated sports locations linked to Ahmedabad’s 2030 Commonwealth Games plans. The main venue is expected to be the Sardar Patel Sports Enclave around Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, where land has already been cleared. Other designated venues include the Naranpura Sports Complex and the Karai Police Academy.
AUDA is also planning a separate road network to provide direct connectivity from the SP Ring Road to the Karai Police Academy. That plan involves changes to land zoning, and the authority said planning for the network would be finalised shortly, with the roads expected to be opened as a priority.
