Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has proposed rebuilding as an RCC road a stretch near the Makarba railway overbridge that was widened and asphalted only recently, raising questions about sequencing in the civic body’s road works. The proposal is scheduled to come before AMC’s road and building committee on October 21, six days after the latest work was reported as complete on much of the stretch.
The road connects Prahladnagar with SG Highway and was widened after the Makarba ROB, inaugurated in September, ended directly at an intersection. The junction has reportedly experienced frequent traffic congestion, prompting AMC to undertake immediate road work to improve vehicle movement around the bridge approach.
As of October 15, the road had already been widened and developed with asphalt, although work on some sections was still under way. The proposal now before the committee includes redeveloping the stretch from Prahladnagar fire station to SG Highway as an RCC road.
Rishi Pandya, AMC’s in-charge city engineer, said the civic body decided to widen the road immediately after work on the Makarba ROB was completed. He said the work was carried out through a vendor appointed under an annual rate contract because constructing a concrete or RCC road would have taken more time and could have resulted in traffic snarls.
“Following the work on the Makarba railway overbridge, a decision was taken to immediately widen the road. Accordingly, the road was developed through an annual rate contract vendor. Constructing a concrete or RCC road takes time, which could have led to traffic snarls. Therefore, to immediately resolve the traffic issue, the road was widened and developed. Necessary modifications will be made to this proposal,” Pandya said.
The wider proposal seeks approval for an annual rate contract valued at Rs 136.6 crore for constructing asphalt and RCC roads in different parts of Ahmedabad. The contract covers multiple road works, with the Makarba approach stretch included among the locations proposed for RCC construction.
The sequence places the focus on how AMC coordinates urgent road interventions with longer-term pavement decisions. In this case, the asphalt work was undertaken as an immediate response to congestion after the ROB opened, while the RCC proposal represents a more permanent reconstruction plan. The city engineer’s statement indicates that modifications to the proposal may be required before it is considered by the committee.
The committee’s decision will determine whether the Makarba approach is retained within the RCC proposal, modified, or removed after the recent asphalt work. The meeting on October 21 is the next formal step for the road and building committee to examine the annual rate contract and the proposed works across the city.
