Union Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari visited Surat on Thursday to conduct an extensive inspection of the Vadodara–Mumbai Expressway and key national highway stretches passing through South Gujarat. The visit included both aerial and on-ground surveys, aimed at assessing construction progress, identifying bottlenecks and reviewing safety standards across crucial road corridors.
A major focus of the visit was a detailed examination of a 100-kilometre stretch of National Highway 53, beginning from Palsana in Surat and extending up to Valsad. This stretch plays a vital role in supporting industrial movement, heavy commercial transport and interstate connectivity between Maharashtra and Gujarat. Officials briefed the minister about traffic density, ongoing work and areas requiring immediate intervention.
Gadkari also conducted an aerial survey of nearly 200 km of the Vadodara–Mumbai Expressway within Surat district. The bird’s-eye inspection allowed him to review alignment, earthwork completion and progress on major structures such as bridges, flyovers and interchanges. This expressway is expected to significantly reduce travel time between Gujarat and Mumbai once completed, easing congestion on existing highways.
Earlier in the week, the minister, along with state authorities, had reviewed another major national highway stretch, signalling the government’s urgency in expediting infrastructure projects across Gujarat. After wrapping up the survey and holding brief reviews with officials, Gadkari was scheduled to return to Delhi later in the afternoon.
His visit reinforces the Centre’s commitment to accelerating high-priority road projects that are expected to boost trade, logistics and regional connectivity in South Gujarat.
