Makarba Overbridge Traffic Mess: Crores Spent, Yet Motorists Face 500-Metre Detour

A railway overbridge built at Makarba to improve connectivity between SG Highway and Juhapura has run into a traffic-management problem almost immediately after its inauguration, with authorities now shutting the main Corporate Road stretch and introducing a permanent diversion.

The bridge, constructed across the Ahmedabad-Botad railway line, was virtually inaugurated by the Chief Minister on September 24. But instead of bringing smoother traffic movement, the opening-day rush exposed a basic problem at the bridge's exit: a four-way intersection immediately after the bridge.

The resulting congestion has now prompted the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and traffic police to introduce a ‘capsule’ diversion, forcing motorists to take an additional route of around 500 metres.

For thousands of commuters using the stretch daily, that extra distance is expected to add around seven to 10 minutes to their journey.

Bridge Opens, Traffic Jam Follows

The traffic problem became evident on the very first day of the bridge's operation, when vehicles began piling up around the junction.

With traffic emerging from the bridge and motorists simultaneously moving towards Corporate Road, Prahladnagar and Makarba, the four-way intersection became a bottleneck.

Instead of allowing traffic to continue through the junction, authorities have now closed the main road and introduced a diversion to regulate vehicle movement.

The development has raised questions over whether the junction layout and traffic movement were adequately assessed before the bridge was constructed.

Crores Spent, But Junction Planning Comes Under Question

The latest arrangement has also raised questions about the planning of the project.

A bridge is intended to remove a bottleneck, but when its exit itself becomes a bottleneck, the traffic-management arrangements around it become equally critical.

Questions are now being raised over whether a detailed assessment of vehicle flow, junction capacity and the bridge's level and approach roads was carried out before construction.

Possible traffic-management measures such as signalisation, slip roads, an underpass or a redesigned junction could have been considered during the planning stage, depending on the findings of a traffic assessment.

Instead, a diversion has now been introduced after the congestion surfaced.

500-Metre Detour, 7-10 Minutes Extra

Under the new arrangement, motorists travelling between Prahladnagar and Makarba will no longer be able to use the direct movement at the junction.

The additional 500-metre stretch may appear short on paper, but during peak hours the extra turns and U-turn can translate into several additional minutes on the road.

For commuters making the journey every day, the diversion means repeated delays on a route that was expected to improve connectivity.

How The New Diversion Works

Prahladnagar to Makarba Underpass: Motorists have to turn left near the railway overbridge, travel underneath it, exit on the other side and then proceed towards Corporate Road.

Makarba Underpass to Prahladnagar: Motorists have to take a left near the bridge towards YMCA, travel further ahead, take a U-turn and then proceed towards Prahladnagar.

The arrangement has effectively converted what was intended to be a direct movement into a longer loop.

Permanent Fix Or Post-Inauguration Correction?

The immediate question now is why the traffic problem became apparent only after the bridge was opened to motorists.

The authorities have responded by introducing the capsule diversion, but the move has also brought the planning of the bridge and its adjoining junction under scrutiny.

For commuters, the issue is straightforward: a bridge built to ease movement should not leave them navigating additional turns and U-turns because the junction at its end could not handle the traffic.

The Makarba overbridge may have solved one railway crossing problem, but its opening has created another traffic-management challenge—one that motorists are now being asked to navigate every day.