Gandhinagar: Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday inaugurated the 4-km-long Iskcon-Sanand elevated corridor, a Rs 464-crore infrastructure project expected to ease traffic congestion on the busy Sarkhej-Gandhinagar Highway and improve connectivity between Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.The six-lane corridor, connecting Iskcon Junction to Sanand Flyover, passes over some of the highway’s busiest stretches, including Karnavati Club, Prahladnagar and YMCA. Its opening is expected to significantly improve traffic flow at these junctions, reduce travel time and fuel consumption, and lower vehicle operating costs for commuters.“Earlier, it used to take up to two-and-a-half hours to travel from Sarkhej to Gandhinagar. Now, from Sarkhej to Gandhinagar, there is not a single traffic signal. The entire stretch is dotted with overbridges. Very few cities have such a facility. We have nothing to worry about when Narendrabhai (PM Modi) is at the Centre and Bhupendrabhai (CM Patel) is here,” Shah said.Commuters using the busy stretch of road expressed relief that the elevated corridor has opened to traffic. Manan Doshi, a commuter, said, “The elevated corridor will ease commuting. The work went on for quite some time, but the project is now finished and will facilitate smoother traffic flow along SG Highway.”
The six-lane corridor, connecting Iskcon Junction to Sanand flyover, passes over some of the highway’s busiest stretches, including Karnavati Club, Prahladnagar and YMCA
Dixit Padhiyar, another commuter, added, “The elevated corridor will ease traffic congestion. With faster vehicle movement on the SG highway stretch, commuters will likely experience a significant reduction in travel time.”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.Constructed by the Union ministry of road transport and highways, the 26.8-metre-wide elevated corridor comprises a 2,940-metre viaduct and 1,090 metres of approach roads. The project also includes several road safety and traffic management features to improve commuter safety and reduce accidents.To mitigate noise pollution for residents along the stretch, noise barriers have been installed over a total length of 5,880 metres. The corridor is equipped with 297 streetlights, an advanced traffic management system, overhead and cantilever gantries, road safety signage, cat’s eyes and anti-glare measures, an official statement said. White-topped service roads, ranging from 7 to 14 metres in width, have also been developed as part of the project to facilitate smoother movement of local traffic.
