New Delhi: The Centre has approved the upgradation of the Thawar–Jherda stretch of National Highway-168A in Banaskantha district to four lanes at a cost of ₹451.49 crore, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said on Tuesday.

Sharing the update on X (formerly Twitter), Gadkari wrote, “Approval has been granted for the upgradation to four lanes of the Thawar–Zerda (length 22.45 km) section of National Highway-168A in Banaskantha district of Gujarat at a cost of ₹451.49 crore.

The proposed section passes through the town of Dhanera and connects to Zerda village near Deesa. This section facilitates traffic heading towards Sirohi and Pali in Rajasthan via National Highway-168 and State Highway-7. The volume of local traffic here remains high.

Currently, the existing road experiences heavy congestion, especially in Dhanera. Therefore, upgrading it to four lanes, along with the reconstruction of a 5.5-metre service road in Dhanera, will reduce congestion, improve road safety, increase traffic speed, and reduce travel time.”

The 22.45-km stretch is an important link connecting North Gujarat with Rajasthan and carries heavy local as well as inter-state traffic. The widening project is expected to ease congestion in Dhanera town and improve connectivity towards Deesa, Sirohi, and Pali. DeshGujarat