SG Road chokes: 271% rise in traffic makes it accident trap

Once envisioned as Ahmedabad's gateway to expansion, Sarkhej-Gandhinagar Road is now groaning under the weight of the city's relentless growth. Daily traffic on the NHAI-governed corridor has surged from 27,178 vehicles in 2017 to 1,00,870 by 2025 — a 271% increase that far outpaces growth on other major arteries.The spike dwarfs traffic increases elsewhere in the city: Ahmedabad-Mehsana highway saw a 74.85% rise, while Ahmedabad-Rajkot Road recorded 53.44% growth over the same period. Today, SG Road carries more than 1.05 lakh passenger car units every day, making it one of the city's most congested corridors.
The strain is also taking a lethal toll. Five of Ahmedabad's 10 worst accident hotspots now lie on or near SG Road, according to EMRI 108 data for 2025. Prahladnagar Garden topped the list with 499 emergency calls, followed by Gota (498), Bodakdev (478), Vaishnodevi Circle (444) and Sola Civil Hospital (373). While EMRI officials caution that figures reflect ambulance catchment areas — teams typically respond within a 5-10 km radius — the concentration of incidents remains alarming. "Given the sheer volume of vehicles and complexity of traffic patterns, road traffic accident cases are relatively high along SG Road," a senior EMRI official said. "Our estimates suggest SG Road corridor alone accounts for one in every 10 road traffic accidents recorded in the city."Authorities acknowledge that the infrastructure is struggling to keep pace. "Traffic volumes on SG Road have exploded well beyond earlier projections," said P R Patelia, secretary in the state roads and buildings department. "While both the Gujarat govt and the Centre have poured investments into new flyovers and underpasses, the traffic has multiplied many times over."Patelia said coordinated efforts with NHAI, and local bodies are now focused on eliminating bottlenecks and upgrading connecting roads. An elevated corridor and three new bridges designed to enable uninterrupted travel from Sarkhej to Chiloda are also in the works.