Ahmedabad – Dholera Expressway Nears Completion as Work on Key Bottleneck Progresses Rapidly
Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway, a critical 108-kilometre infrastructure project connecting Ahmedabad’s Sardar Patel Ring Road (SP Ring Road) to Adhelai village near Bhavnagar, is nearing completion, with approximately 98% of the work finished. Once fully operational, the expressway is expected to cut travel time between Ahmedabad and Dholera SIR to just 40–45 minutes.
Dholera SIR, being developed as India’s first greenfield smart city, hosts several key projects, including the Tata Group’s nearly ₹91,000 crore investment in the country’s first semiconductor plant.
Remaining Bottlenecks and Pending Works
Despite the high completion percentage, several finishing activities and structural connections remain key bottlenecks before the entire 108 km stretch can be fully opened.
Railway Overbridge (ROB) Works
WDFC Railway Line: Construction is ongoing at the ROB crossing the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) railway line. While the steel bridge erection is complete on both sides and bitumen laying has been done on one side, expansion joint work is still pending on the other. Notably, in the previous update before the monsoon, the bridge had not yet been launched, indicating that work has progressed at a commendable pace even during the rainy season.
Bhavnagar Railway Line: A similar situation exists at the ROB crossing the Bhavnagar railway line. The steel bridge erection is complete, one side has been connected with bitumen laying, and expansion joint work is currently underway on the opposite side.
Earthwork at Substation Site
Around 25 km from Ahmedabad, near Juval Rupavati village, GETCO’s Juval Rupavati 66kV substation was originally located in the middle of the expressway alignment. It has now been shifted, clearing a major obstruction. The retaining wall (R-wall) of the associated bridge has been completed, and bitumen laying has been done on one side. Earthwork on the other side is currently in its final stage.
This marks significant progress compared to the last update when the substation relocation had not been completed, creating a major bottleneck for the project.
Dholera Activation Area Access
An interchange is being constructed to provide access to the Dholera Activation Area. While the main alignment here is complete, earthwork is currently underway on the ramp sections of this interchange.
General Finishing and Lane Marking
In some stretches where bitumen laying has been completed, lane marking is still pending on one side of the road. However, these are minor stretches—about 100 metres each—and are expected to be completed soon.
Overall Progress of the Expressway
The progress on the expressway has been substantial, with many sections showcasing 100% completion.
Structure and Capacity: The expressway is currently four lanes wide, but adequate space has been reserved in the median to allow future expansion up to 12 lanes, depending on traffic growth.
Initial Sections: Construction of the traffic circle at the starting point on the SP Ring Road has been completed. Many stretches of the expressway are fully finished, including road lighting, lane marking, and installation of signboards.
Interchanges and Tolls: The first toll plaza has completed installation of its toll structure, utility building, and booths. Several interchanges are fully complete, including the Pipli (Diamond) Interchange—serving as the exit for the upcoming Dholera International Airport—which was previously reported as 100% complete. The Vataman (or Vejalka) Interchange also has its main alignment and toll structure completed.
Operational Status: Some sections of the expressway have already been opened to traffic.
Timeline Outlook: Based on the current pace of work, the entire expressway is expected to become operational by December.
Source: Desh Gujarat
