Surat: Representatives of a social media group, Surat – Growth Hub of South Gujarat, have urged the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to make the temporary Pungam exit on the Vadodara–Bharuch–Surat section of the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway a permanent facility. In a letter to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, group members Eliyas Pathan and Sanjay Jain stated that the exit has significantly eased traffic movement and benefited daily commuters between Surat and Ankleshwar.

The representatives mentioned that they visited the expressway on November 27, 2025, to review the project’s progress, during which a temporary diversion was opened near Pungam on the Surat–Hansot–Ankleshwar road. This interim arrangement, they said, has greatly improved connectivity and reduced traffic pressure. According to the letter, the stretch between Pungam and Kim–Ena–Palsana is likely to take a few more months to become fully operational, and until then the existing diversion will continue to serve as an important commuting route. In view of its present benefits and future utility, the group has requested the government to construct a permanent exit near Pungam to ensure smoother traffic movement and strengthen regional connectivity. DeshGujarat