Ahmedabad: Protest erupts again over 4km detour on SP Ring Road

Ahmedabad: Residents of New Tragad and Chandkheda staged a protest on Sardar Patel Ring Road on Saturday night, demanding the reopening of a median gap near Hotel Hillock that was recently barricaded.

Hundreds of people blocked the road, triggering a traffic jam of more than half a kilometre between Vaishnodevi Circle and Zundal Road. On Feb 8, residents had launched a signature campaign opposing the closure. The protest followed the barricading of an intersection that residents say has forced motorists to take a 4km detour.


Many commuters are instead using a narrow culvert about 850 metres away, which allows only one vehicle to pass at a time and has led to frequent bottlenecks, protesters said. Residents said the closure has increased commute times and worsened congestion. When traffic police reached the spot to clear the jam on Saturday, protesters did not cooperate initially.

The decision to close the gap traces back to a coordination meeting where BJP Rajya Sabha member Narhari Amin drew attention to traffic congestion at the spot. Authorities subsequently sealed it, but residents say the move contradicts the original traffic-circle plan, which implied an opening was intended.