A 4-km elevated corridor connecting Iskcon Junction with the Sanand Flyover in Ahmedabad was inaugurated on Monday, opening a six-lane route intended to ease congestion on the Sarkhej-Gandhinagar Highway and improve travel between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.
Union home minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Rs 464-crore project, which passes above some of the busiest stretches of the highway, including Karnavati Club, Prahladnagar and YMCA. The corridor is expected to improve traffic flow at these junctions, reduce travel time and fuel consumption, and lower vehicle operating costs for commuters.
The elevated structure is 26.8 metres wide and comprises a 2,940-metre viaduct along with 1,090 metres of approach roads. It has been constructed by the Union ministry of road transport and highways as part of efforts to improve movement along the heavily used Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar route.
Speaking at the inauguration, Shah said the journey from Sarkhej to Gandhinagar had earlier taken up to two-and-a-half hours. He said the route now had no traffic signals along the stretch, with overbridges facilitating movement between the two cities.
The project includes infrastructure intended to address both traffic movement and road safety. An advanced traffic management system, overhead and cantilever gantries, road safety signage, cat’s eyes and anti-glare measures have been installed along the corridor. The project also includes 297 streetlights.
Noise barriers have been installed over a combined length of 5,880 metres to reduce the impact of traffic on residents living along the route. White-topped service roads, between 7 and 14 metres wide, have also been developed to support the movement of local traffic below the elevated section.
Commuters at the inauguration said the opening could make daily travel along SG Highway smoother. Manan Doshi said the construction had continued for some time but would now facilitate better traffic movement, while Dixit Padhiyar said faster vehicle movement could reduce travel time on the highway stretch.
Chief minister Bhupendra Patel, minister of state for urban development Darshana Vaghela, Ahmedabad mayor Hitesh Barot and MLAs Amit Thaker and Babubhai Patel were among those present at the inauguration. The corridor is now open to traffic, with its traffic management and safety systems forming part of the operational infrastructure along the route.
