Surat, November 27: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has announced a significant package of 20,000 crore rupees to strengthen the highway and road infrastructure of the state during his two-day visit to Gujarat. This announcement was made immediately following a meeting held in Gandhinagar with Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and officials from the road construction department.
The Chief Minister had urged for the expedited completion of projects such as the Ahmedabad-Mumbai and Ahmedabad-Udaipur routes, citing a traffic load increase of more than 35 percent on state highways. Responding promptly to this request, the Union Minister assured the approval of 20,000 crore rupees by the central government for highways and other projects under the NHAI, as per agency report.
Following the meeting in Gandhinagar, Minister Gadkari arrived in Surat district on Thursday to inspect ongoing major road projects. He is assessing the progress of over 300 kilometers of National Highways and Expressways. This includes a ground inspection of approximately 100 kilometers on NH-53 and NH-48, along with an aerial survey of a 200-kilometer stretch of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway via helicopter.
Upon landing at Surat airport, the Minister departed for a by-road inspection in a special bus accompanied by NHAI officials. His focus remains on understanding the ground reality, where he intends to gauge the quality of roads, structural strength, and surface conditions by experiencing the journey firsthand.
The primary objective of this intensive inspection is not only to review the progress of the projects but also to resolve problems and local complaints on the spot. Local residents and traffic experts have demanded immediate attention from the Minister regarding issues arising from the poor design of the interchange connecting NH-48 and the Expressway, seeking appropriate guidance to avoid traffic congestion in the future.
