Hit the express route to reach Rajkot in 7 hours

AHMEDABAD: Rajkot to Mumbai in seven hours flat? After expressways connecting Ahmedabad-Vadodara, Vadodara-Surat and Surat-Mumbai, now you may zoom through an expressway linking Ahmedabad and Rajkot.

Gujarat government’s ambitious Rs 1,000-crore project envisages upgrading Ahmedabad-Rajkot highway into an expressway. A senior official in the Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board (GIDB) told ET that the process of identifying a consultant had already begun last week.

If the project comes through, it will give a further boost to the economic activity taking place in Saurastra, especially the rapidly growing Jamnagar region. “We plan to upgrade the existing four-lane road into an expressway. If this project comes through, the 700-odd kms between Rajkot and Mumbai can be travelled in seven hours flat,” says the official.

The decision will enormously benefit Jamnagar, which has fast emerged as an industrial hotspot. Apart from Reliance’s refinery and special economic zone, Essar group is also coming up with a refinery and an SEZ in the region. The government is already constructing a four-lane highway connecting Rajkot and Jamnagar.

Eventually, the Ahmedabad-Rajkot expressway may be extended up to Jamnagar. “At present, we are just focusing on the 220-km stretch between Ahmedabad and Rajkot. Any extension will be considered once this project is completed,” he said.

Looking at the development taking place in the region, the state government had commissioned a study to evaluate the coastal corridor of Saurashtra and ensure optimal utilisation of available resources to give a boost to the regional economy. The study, which has been carried out by consultants PriceWaterHouseCoopers, says the region has tremendous potential.

As per the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) figures, Jamnagar has already nudged Surat out of the race as far as attracting investment is concerned. Jamnagar has attracted investments worth Rs 56,379 crore in the past five years. Surat and Hazira managed to get Rs 38,906 crore during the same period.