Cabinet Meet: Govt moves to widen Ahmedabad-Mehsana Highway into eight-lane — 1st in state

“A recent traffic survey estimated that more than one lakh vehicles use the highway daily. Therefore, considering the load, a project to convert the existing four-lane highway into eight-lane has been sanctioned. It will include construction of a seven-metre wide service road on both sides to ease traffic and to make fast and safe transportation possible,” the release said.

The highway passes through Kalol. Vaghani said that to lessen the traffic burden on Kalol city, a 6.10-km elevated corridor will be created that will connect the existing five overbridges/flyovers so that the highway traffic passes through it without hurdles of internal traffic of the city. All the bridge structures, pipe culverts and box culverts will also be made of eight lanes. The project will include eight new flyovers and eight new underpasses.

Tenders for the project will be floated soon and after allotment of tenders, the work is planned to be completed in two years.

In another decision, the state Cabinet has also approved construction of all-season roads connecting 1,614 suburbs in tribal areas under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

Quoting Vaghani, the release said that following a survey under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana – 4, out of the total 4781 suburbs in tribal areas, 1614 suburbs have been selected for connecting with roads in the first phase. Total roads running into 2020 km will be constructed at the cost of Rs 2,600 crore.

Under the scheme, suburbs which have never got road connection are being provided connectivity of all-season roads. Suburbs with 500 or more population in normal areas and 250 or more population in tribal areas are being provided the connectivity under the scheme. The Centre bears 60 per cent and the state bears 40 per cent of the construction cost.