Rajkot: The Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) is set to undertake a major renovation of the city’s 150-feet ring road at an estimated cost of over ₹100 crore, aiming to address growing traffic congestion and recurring waterlogging issues.

The 10.7-km road stretch, built around 15 years ago with facilities such as a BRTS corridor and cycle track, was originally located on the outskirts of the city. However, rapid urban expansion over the past five years has turned the road into one of the busiest corridors in the city, witnessing heavy traffic round the clock.

It is learnt that the proposed redesign will include reducing the width of the BRTS track, removing the underutilised cycle track, and making structural changes to improve traffic movement and drainage.

The civic body had earlier approved a proposal to redesign the stretch from Madhapar Chowk to Gondal Chowkdi. A government institute from Surat has been appointed as a consultant for the project and has already carried out a survey of the road. The institute has previously worked on major road projects, including Ahmedabad’s SG Highway, SP Ring Road and Sindhu Bhavan Road.

The survey examined issues such as traffic pressure, waterlogging-prone areas, service road requirements and the utility of the cycle track. The consultancy charges for the survey and redesign work are estimated at around ₹9 lakh per kilometre.

With the survey work largely completed, the tendering process for the renovation project is expected to begin soon after the appointment of new office-bearers in the civic body. The proposal will then be placed before the new standing committee for approval.

The road was originally developed in 2009-10 and continues to function as a bypass route for heavy vehicles, including buses and trucks. As per reports, the wide BRTS corridor currently reduces space for other vehicles, making the narrowing of the BRTS track a key part of the redesign plan.

The project is expected to benefit lakhs of commuters using the road daily by providing smoother traffic flow and a long-term solution to waterlogging problems. DeshGujarat