Vadodara: The Centre has approved a series of projects to streamline traffic flow and road safety on the busy Vadodara-Bharuch stretch of National Highway-48. They include the setting up of a dedicated National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Project Implementation Unit (PIU) in Vadodara, construction of additional bridges and development of service roads.In a communication to Vadodara MP Hemang Joshi recently, Union minister of state for road transport and highways Ajay Tamta said the ministry deliberated on the issues raised by the MP during Zero Hour in Lok Sabha regarding traffic congestion on the Vadodara stretch of NH-48 and the urgent need for a local NHAI office.The minister said the Vadodara-Bharuch section is one of the busiest highway corridors in the country, carrying substantial passenger and freight traffic. To improve traffic flow and safety, additional bridges are also under construction at locations such as Vishwamitri, Jambuva, Por and Bamangam, all of which are nearing completion, he said.The ministry also proposed additional service roads along congested urban stretches to segregate local and highway traffic. It said traffic conditions are expected to improve after the completion of the Vadodara-Navsari section of the Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway, which will divert a substantial volume of traffic from NH-48.The communication further stated that 24×7 highway patrolling and ambulance services have already been deployed for faster incident response.Joshi said the Vadodara-Bharuch section is a vital corridor for passenger and industrial traffic and welcomed the Centre’s decision to establish a dedicated NHAI office in the city. The MP added that the move would ensure quicker execution of projects and improve accountability on the ground.
