Ahmedabad to Somnath in Just 4 Hours via New Expressway
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A transformative expressway project promises to reduce travel time between Ahmedabad and Somnath to just four hours. Proposed under the Centre’s ambitious Bharatmala Pariyojana, the ₹35,000-crore high-speed corridor aims to improve regional connectivity and give a major push to tourism in Gujarat.
Currently, it takes about 7 to 8 hours to travel the 470-km stretch from Ahmedabad to the famous Somnath temple. The new expressway will cut this journey time almost in half. Designed to handle high-speed vehicular traffic, the road will pass through key districts such as Dholka, Botad, Amreli, and Gir Somnath, connecting remote areas more directly to Gujarat’s economic hubs.
According to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), land acquisition is already underway, and once completed, the expressway will significantly enhance movement between Saurashtra and central Gujarat. Local authorities and stakeholders believe this development will bring socio-economic benefits to smaller towns en route by boosting business and pilgrimage tourism alike.
The expressway will also be part of a larger strategy to link various coastal and religious destinations in Gujarat, including Dholavira and Dwarka, under the ‘Dev Darshan’ and ‘Coastal Circuit’ tourism plans. With Gujarat attracting both domestic and international tourists, improved road infrastructure is seen as a key enabler for sustainable growth.
In addition to reducing travel time, the expressway is expected to decongest existing routes and reduce fuel consumption and vehicular emissions. Once operational, this road project could become a model for integrating infrastructure development with heritage preservation and regional upliftment.
Construction work is expected to begin in phases by 2025, with full completion targeted in the next few years.
