Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], June 4 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Surat, Gujarat, on Friday, World Environment Day. During the visit, he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of National Highway projects worth Rs 12,421 crore in the South Gujarat region, a release said.

According to the Chief Minister's Office, PM Modi will inaugurate two packages of the Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway and lay the foundation stone for four key highway projects. The projects will strengthen connectivity across Gujarat, including South Gujarat, and give a strong boost to regional economic development.

The Prime Minister will inaugurate the 36 km KIM-ENA section (Package VI) and the 27.50 km Gandeva-ENA section (Package VII) of the Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway. Both packages have been developed at a combined cost of Rs 7,689 crore. The project features a comprehensive network of major and minor bridges, railroad bridges, flyovers, and vehicle underpasses, it said.

A total of 70 underpasses and two interchanges have been built to improve local connectivity and ensure smooth movement for commuters. With the operationalisation of this 8-lane corridor, connectivity in the region will improve significantly, enabling faster travel. To further enhance safety and convenience, seven well-equipped wayside amenities will be developed across both packages for drivers, it added.

The commissioning of these sections will improve freight movement along the Delhi-Mumbai expressway and help reduce logistics costs for local industries, aligning with the objectives of the Bharatmala Project. Additionally, four NHAI projects worth Rs 4,732 crore will also see foundation stone laying. These include four-laning of NH-56 (Package 4) from Dhamasia to Bitada/Movi, four-laning of NH-56 (Package 6) from Nasarpore to Malotha, a 6-lane Vehicle Underpass (Reliance), and a VUP-cum-flyover at Kawas on the Surat-Hazira section of NH-53.

The four-laning of the Dhamasia-Bitada and Nasarpore-Malotha sections under the NH-56 upgradation in Gujarat will increase connectivity to the Statue of Unity and the tribal districts of Narmada, Tapi, Valsad and Chhota Udepur. The project will also support local development by connecting farmers, industries and key trade routes.

The 107.67 km four-lane corridor will reduce travel time by around 40 minutes and increase average speeds by nearly 75%. It will connect pharma and medical clusters, fishing and seafood clusters, tribal regions, and key logistics nodes, including one airport, two railway stations and two ports, the release noted.

Two projects worth about Rs 149 crore will be taken up on the Hazira Port-Surat section of National Highway 53. These include a 6-lane flyover and a vehicle underpass to ensure smooth movement of heavy goods traffic towards Hazira Port and nearby industrial areas.

The projects will support maritime trade and industrial growth while also enabling safer and congestion-free travel for residents of Surat. They will help ease traffic pressure in the high-density industrial zone near Hazira Port and improve overall transport efficiency, the release highlighted. (ANI)