Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway

With the initial section of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway seeing increased traffic since February, another major expressway is set to open soon in India. The Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway is scheduled to be operational for vehicles by January 2024.

This 109-km-long expressway project began in 2021, and by February 2023, about 30% of the construction had been completed. It is designed to establish a direct link between Ahmedabad and the upcoming Greenfield smart city of Dholera. This expressway stands out for several reasons, including its remarkable width of 250 meters. While 75% of the space will be allocated for vehicular traffic, the remaining 25% is reserved for a future high-speed rapid rail corridor under the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS).

The Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway will significantly enhance connectivity between Ahmedabad, Gujarat’s largest city, and Dholera, a rapidly developing industrial hub and the core of the Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR) project. By improving transport infrastructure, the expressway is expected to drive industrial and economic growth in the region, making travel more efficient and boosting business opportunities.

The Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway was originally proposed as part of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), a large-scale infrastructure initiative designed to establish a dedicated industrial network between Delhi and Mumbai. This expressway is a crucial link connecting the DMIC to the Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR), ensuring seamless transportation and logistics support for industries in the area.

By significantly reducing travel time between Ahmedabad and Dholera, the expressway will improve accessibility for businesses, industries, and daily commuters. Additionally, it is expected to stimulate trade and attract investment by enhancing connectivity not only within Gujarat but also with neighboring states.

Dholera is being developed as India's first Greenfield smart city, incorporating world-class infrastructure and multimodal transportation networks. The city will be well-connected via ports, highways, metro rail, and an international airport, making it a major hub for business and industrial growth. The Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway will play a pivotal role in this transformation by accelerating industrial expansion while providing high-speed road connectivity between Ahmedabad and Dholera. Once operational, the expressway will reduce travel time between the two cities to just one hour, compared to the current two hours and fifteen minutes required via existing routes.