Union home minister Amit Shah and chief minister Bhupendra Patel during the inauguration

Union home minister Amit Shah and chief minister Bhupendra Patel during the inauguration of the Iskcon-Sanand elevated corridor in Ahmedabad on Monday

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. 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. 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.

We have nothing to worry about when Narendrabhai (PM Modi) is at the Centre and Bhupendrabhai (CM Patel) is here,” Shah said. Manan Doshi, a commuter, said, “The elevated corridor will ease commuting. 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. Commuters using the busy stretch of road expressed relief that the elevated corridor has opened to traffic. 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. The project also includes several road safety and traffic management features to improve commuter safety and reduce accidents.

“Earlier, it used to take up to two-and-a-half hours to travel from Sarkhej to Gandhinagar.