Ahmedabad: Traffic flow on the 76-km-long SP Ring Road in Ahmedabad has significantly improved after authorities closed around 40 small cuts, making the stretch largely signal-free and reducing congestion.

Earlier, commuters took nearly two and a half hours by car and over two hours on two-wheelers to travel the entire Ring Road. Following the intervention, travel time has dropped sharply to just 50–60 minutes.

Major traffic circles that previously witnessed jams lasting 15–20 minutes can now be cleared within two minutes. Officials said traffic congestion alerts, which earlier averaged around 20 messages per day, have now reduced to zero.

Encouraged by the results, authorities have initiated a survey to close similar cuts on SG Highway. So far, two cuts near Gota and Sola have been shut, while further action is being planned at locations including Palladium Mall, ISKCON, YMCA, Prahladnagar, Karnavati Club, and Thaltej after detailed assessment.

22 Intersections Made Signal-Free

As part of the drive, 22 major intersections, including Bopal, Shilaj, Science City, Ognaj, Sindhu Bhavan, Jhundal, Nana Chiloda, Bhadj, Odhav, Vastral, Ramol, Dastan, Jashodanagar, Shantipura, Aslali, Narol, Hathijan, Vatva, Bakrol, Tapovan, Bhat, and Ranasan, have been made signal-free by closing cuts and improving traffic design.

These junctions were previously prone to heavy congestion during peak hours but now see smoother vehicular movement.

Accidents Decline at Black Spots

Authorities also reported a decline in accidents at eight identified black spots on the Ring Road, including Odhav, Dastan, Aslali, Shantipura, Bopal, Shilaj, Hathijan, and Nana Chiloda.

The improvement has been attributed to measures such as the closure of cuts, provision of free left turns, signal-free movement, and deployment of traffic personnel.

“Traffic jams had become a serious issue due to the high vehicle volume. After closing the cuts, congestion has reduced significantly and traffic alerts have dropped to zero,” said Traffic DCP Naresh Kanajaria.

Currently, around 250 traffic personnel have been deployed at various intersections along the Ring Road to manage movement efficiently.