Gujarat Unveils ₹2,200 Crore Ahmedabad–Bhavnagar Expressway to Boost Connectivity and Trade
The Gujarat government, under the leadership of Narendra Modi, has announced plans for its first expressway — a ₹2,200 crore project connecting Ahmedabad and Bhavnagar. The high-speed corridor will cover the 110 km stretch via Sarkhej–Pipali–Dholera in just 1.5 hours, significantly enhancing connectivity to the state’s Special Investment Regions (SIRs).
Roads and Buildings Minister Anandiben Patel, speaking in the state assembly, highlighted that the route will also link the emerging Dholera SIR, an ancient port city in the Gulf of Khambhat, to an upcoming international airport. The expressway is part of a broader push to improve access to Special Economic Zones (SEZs), SIRs, and key industrial hubs across Gujarat.
In addition to the expressway, work on 15 new roads worth ₹559 crore will begin shortly. Major upcoming projects include ₹2,000 crore for the Bharuch–Dahej road, ₹75 crore for the Morbi Bypass–Navlakhi road, and ₹411 crore in newly approved road developments. The state has already completed nine road projects worth ₹167 crore to meet growing traffic demands.
Past infrastructure initiatives include the successful completion of a World Bank-funded ₹1,800 crore program to upgrade 1,856 km of roads. A fresh ₹2,100 crore proposal has been submitted to the World Bank for further funding.
Reflecting the priority given to transport infrastructure, the 2010–11 state budget saw a 41% hike in allocation to the Roads and Buildings Department — ₹2,927 crore in total. Upcoming plans include six-laning 185 km of roads at ₹1,584 crore and four-laning 646 km at ₹5,410 crore, ensuring faster, more efficient connectivity to major ports such as Okha, Navlakhi, Dahej, Mundra, Sutrapada, and Jaffrabad. With the Ahmedabad–Bhavnagar Expressway as its flagship, Gujarat is positioning itself as a logistics powerhouse, enabling faster trade, industrial growth, and economic transformation.
