The Gujarat government has proposed a major upgrade of the Ahmedabad–Vadodara Expressway, aiming to widen the busy road to 8 lanes in view of growing traffic pressure. Currently, the 93-km long National Expressway-1 has 4 to 6 lanes, but this is proving insufficient as vehicle numbers increase rapidly every year.
Daily Heave Traffic on Existing 4 Lane Road
At present, nearly 51,000 vehicles travel daily on this expressway. During peak office hours, weekends, and festival seasons, long traffic queues are a common sight, especially near entry-exit points. Heavy vehicles, high-speed cars, and local traffic all moving on limited lanes often lead to bottlenecks, slow movement, and frequent accidents.
The traffic situation has become even worse after the expressway got connected to the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, as more long-distance vehicles are now using this route. Commuters travelling between Ahmedabad and Vadodara regularly complain about delays, congestion, and unsafe driving conditions on the existing road.
8-Lane Expansion to Improve Safety and Travel Time
To solve these issues, the Gujarat government plans to approach the central government for approval. The proposal will be placed before Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari in an upcoming meeting in Delhi.
A key advantage of this project is that no major land acquisition is required, as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) already owns around 50 metres of land on both sides of the expressway. This is expected to speed up the expansion process once clearance is received.
After widening, the expressway is expected to offer smoother traffic flow, reduced accidents, shorter travel time, and better connectivity to Mumbai. For daily commuters, transport operators, and long-distance travellers, the 8-lane expressway could bring major relief from the current traffic troubles.
