Vadaj flyover nears finish, but traffic doubts grow

Vadaj Flyover GFXAhmedabad: Nearly three years after the Rs 107.86-crore Vadaj Junction flyover project was launched by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), questions are mounting over whether the massive traffic infrastructure exercise will actually solve one of west Ahmedabad’s most notorious choke points — or merely shift congestion from one lane to another.The four-lane flyover and proposed underpass project, launched in July 2023, was scheduled for completion within 30 months, with a target deadline of Nov 28, 2025. But the project remains incomplete, while commuters navigating the dust, barricades and bottlenecks around Vadaj Junction are increasingly questioning the flyover’s design itself.At the centre of the debate is a crucial traffic movement that the flyover does not support.According to the approved design, vehicles approaching from the Gandhi Ashram and RTO sides can climb onto the 735-metre-long flyover towards Ramdevpir Tekra. However, motorists travelling from Usmanpura will not be able to descend towards Gandhi Ashram Road using the flyover. Instead, they will have to continue using the already congested service road network around RTO Circle and Gandhi Ashram.The unusual traffic arrangement has triggered criticism among residents and daily commuters, many of whom fear the structure may ease traffic in one direction while worsening it in another.Municipal sources said the limitation stems from physical constraints near Gandhi Ashram Road, where narrow road width and an adjacent ditch make widening difficult. Officials said adding another descending wing was considered technically unfeasible.Ironically, the unfinished flyover has already become a traffic bottleneck itself. Long snarls continue to plague the Vadaj–Usmanpura stretch, particularly near the Sabarmati Riverfront Road and Gandhi Ashram Road intersection, where traffic pressure remains intense throughout the day.Adding to concerns is the fact that work on the planned 417.97-metre-long underpass from Dadhichi Bridge approach towards Akhbarnagar has not even begun. Civic officials said the flyover will be completed first, followed by the underpass construction.The project also includes under-space parking, green patches, traffic islands and junction channelisation. Yet transport observers say cosmetic urban features may do little if the core traffic flow problem remains unresolved.Photo Quote: Design DebateTwo major AMTS bus stands, a bus terminal and BRTS stations are located beneath the Vadaj flyover. Since public transport buses will continue using the service road instead of the flyover, congestion is unlikely to ease. State transport buses also operate from below the bridge, adding to the pressure on local roads— Naresh Parmar, advocate and Juna Vadaj residentThe closure of the Gandhi Ashram road has already increased traffic at Ranip Terminus, RTO Circle and Vadaj Circle. The flyover’s narrow descending arm towards Gandhi Ashram is inadequate, as even two buses cannot pass comfortably together. Without an underpass, congestion will persist— Shailesh Rathod, advocate and Gandhi Ashram resident