The new six-lane overbridge connecting Karnavati to the Sarkhej-Sanand Chowkdi stretch of Ahmedabad’s SG Highway has completed its main construction work and could open to traffic by the end of October, according to National Highways officials quoted by Gujarat Samachar. The 4.3-kilometre bridge is currently undergoing cleaning and finishing work ahead of an official opening decision.
Construction of the bridge has taken two years and three months. Officials said the upper carriageway is almost ready, with lighting, noise barriers and thermoplastic road markings completed. Cleaning work is expected to be finished within three to four days, after which the bridge will await formal approval and an inauguration date from senior authorities.
The bridge has been designed with six lanes and includes three ramps for traffic travelling from Sarkhej-Sanand Chowkdi towards ISKCON, as well as three ramps for vehicles travelling in the opposite direction. The elevated connection is intended to carry traffic over one of the busiest sections of SG Highway, where congestion affects daily commuters and other road users.
A National Highways official told Gujarat Samachar that the bridge could technically be opened for traffic once the upper section is cleared. The official said lighting, road furniture, noise barriers and other listed works had been completed, while smaller works on the roads below could continue after the elevated section becomes operational.
The official opening date has not yet been finalised. Discussions are reportedly continuing over who will inaugurate the bridge and when the ceremony will take place. Earlier statements cited in the report indicated that the upper bridge could be opened by 30 October, while the broader target for completing the work was 31 October. The report also said the bridge may be opened around Diwali, subject to the decision of the authorities.
The Ahmedabad Police Commissioner had earlier directed that work on the bridge and the roads below be completed on schedule. The commissioner’s office said its officials had reviewed the condition of bridges, potholes and roads across the city and had met National Highways representatives regarding the Karnavati-to-Sarkhej connection.
The police authorities also instructed that pothole filling and repairs to the roads beneath the bridge begin before the elevated structure opens. According to the statements quoted in the report, National Highways officials said the lower roads would also be repaired before the bridge is made available to traffic.
Once opened, the overbridge is expected to allow vehicles travelling between Karnavati, Sarkhej, Sanand Chowkdi and the ISKCON-side connection to bypass parts of the existing road-level movement. Gujarat Samachar reported that the project is expected to reduce travel time and fuel consumption for lakhs of motorists, although no traffic forecasts or quantified savings were provided in the report.
The immediate next step is completion of cleaning and remaining checks, followed by a formal decision on the inauguration and traffic-opening date. Authorities will also have to complete or continue the associated road repairs and finishing work on the approaches and roads below the bridge.
