Has White Topping Spoiled the Pleasant Drive on Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway NH 48?

June 02, 2025
Gujarat India South Gujarat

Surat: The Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway 48 has been a lifeline for people traveling between Gujarat and Maharashtra for years. To enhance the highway’s durability and address the increasing traffic problems, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) initiated a “white topping” (concrete overlay) project in 2023. However, this decision by the government agency now seems to be becoming a bane for commuters.

A recent social media post by a Twitter user has highlighted public dissatisfaction and the issues commuters are facing, as they claim that the white-topping project has damaged what was once a smooth highway.

Twitter user Jeet Mashru shared a video of a bumpy journey on the Mumbai–South Gujarat stretch, writing, “The ‘White Topping’ of NH48 between the Gujarat Border and Mumbai by @NHAI_Official has completely ruined this once beautiful highway. There’s no leveling at all; it’s a spine-injuring experience, especially southbound. More than ₹500 crores of taxpayers’ money was given by NHAI to a contractor for this. You have made life hell for people coming to the financial capital of India, @NHAI_Official.”

Earlier reports also suggested that this initiative has worsened congestion, causing hours-long delays and vehicle damage due to uneven surfaces, cracks, illegal truck parking, frequent wrong-side driving—especially by ready-mix concrete (RMC) trucks—and blocked rainwater culverts.

Currently, white-topping is underway along a 121 km stretch from Dahisar to Achhad near the Gujarat border, with an investment of around Rs 550 crore by Nirmal Build Infra Pvt Ltd, which was awarded the contract on October 31, 2023. The work is reportedly under implementation as per data shared by NHAI on April 1.

Supporting the claims by Mashru, other user also shared Google images showing the highway’s condition prior to white-topping, which depict the road in good shape. One Twitter user wrote, “These are Google Street View pictures of NH48 from 2023. While not world-class, this entire section was in excellent shape. Traffic jams occurred only when there was an accident or something untoward happened. Ask any NH48 traveler who will vouch for the excellent quality of this highway for the past 7-8 years. There were some patches with potholes, but they were quickly repaired, and even the patchwork was of great quality. Then some officials @NHAI_Official (who perhaps have never traveled this route) decided to dig up this excellent road and concretize the entire surface. And they chose to do this before the alternate Mumbai-Delhi Expressway route is ready. I have no idea what @nitin_gadkari and his advisors @officeofng told him, but this road never needed such extensive repairs.”

What is white-topping?

White-topping is a method used to repair or strengthen existing asphalt (bituminous) roads by applying a concrete layer over them. This concrete layer can be bonded or unbonded to the asphalt beneath and is typically between 100 and 200 millimeters thick.

It is noteworthy that similar complaints have arisen regarding the relatively new Vadodara-Bharuch section of the expressway, which was also constructed using the white-topping method. Now, concerns have surfaced about the NH48 stretch, which was previously known for its smooth ride.

Earlier, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari stated that the government would take strict action against contractors or companies if the quality of highway construction or maintenance was found to be inadequate.

It is hoped that the concerned authorities take note of this viral post and take appropriate steps to improve the road conditions for commuters. The uneven surface not only makes driving exhausting but also reduces vehicle longevity. DeshGujarat

 

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