After years of planning and work, Ahmedabad railway bridge runs into wall

Rs 65 crore railway overbridge hits a dead-end as delays in road construction and agricultural zoning hinder completion

Despite investing more than Rs 65 crore and spending six years on construction, the railway overbridge (ROB) built by the Railways and the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) has hit a wall--literally. The bridge connects the northern and southern parts of the expanded Ahmedabad city and passes over the Gora Ghuma rail yard, according to a report by The Indian Express.

 

While the north-end ramp opens onto the Bopal-Ghuma road, the ramp at the south end is almost obstructed by the boundary walls of private properties in the Manipur-Shilaj area.

 

Five letters sent by the Railways to AUDA between September 2023 and December 2024 highlighted the national transporter's concerns over the unfinished road connecting the south-end ramp of the bridge to the Shilaj main road, located 2 km away. The letters stress that this road, critical for completing the infrastructure, had not yet been constructed, the report said.

 

Dead-end and construction delays

 

The south-end ramp of the ROB nearly touches private property boundary walls, leading to a six-metre-wide dirt track that eventually joins the Shilaj main road. However, this road is not a permanent solution, as it is located within an agricultural zone, complicating construction efforts. Devang P Desai, AUDA chairperson, told Express that the conversion of the zone for development purposes would be necessary before any work could proceed, as mentioned by the report.

 

Change of plans

 

Initially proposed as a Railway Under Bridge (RUB), the project was later modified to a ROB and approved by the Railway Board in January 2018. The bridge, which was expected to alleviate traffic congestion at LC-16A and divert traffic from the nearby LC-15B, has encountered delays. AUDA proposed to build a four-lane ROB in 2019, and construction was finalised by the end of 2024, with the project’s cost shared between AUDA, DFCCIL, and the Railways, the report said.

 

Despite the completion of the bridge, construction of the vital 2 km road connecting the bridge to the Shilaj main road has yet to begin. Several reminders from the Railways to AUDA emphasise the urgency of the situation, but as of January 2025, the road is still not under construction.

 

Future plans

 

The report quoted Desai as saying that the agricultural zoning complicates the situation, and land acquisition or a town planning scheme would be necessary to move forward. However, he added that a partial land acquisition plan is under consideration, with an alignment survey in progress. The road is split between AUDA and AMC jurisdiction, and talks are ongoing with AMC for possible cooperation in construction.

 

While the Ahmedabad Division of Western Railways confirmed that the LC-16A crossing would remain open until the bridge is fully functional, AUDA's Desai noted that the developing area around the bridge makes it harder to address the dead-end situation. He stressed that the goal was long-term planning, despite the current complications, as mentioned in the news report.