CG Road project halted after 18-metre wide road narrowed to nine metres

The Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) on Wednesday halted work on the C G Road Development Project in Ahmedabad after it was found that an 18-metre-wide road had been reduced to just nine metres.

The road between Mithakhali Junction and Girish Coldrinks, which is being redeveloped as part of the Mithakhali and Low Garden Precinct project, was narrowed by the contractor, Skyway Infra Project, with footpaths and allied infrastructure being wider than the road itself. The development work, reportedly estimated to cost ₹9 crore, had been approved for an 18-metre-wide road.

The deputy mayor, Jatin Patel, and the standing committee chairman, Devang Dani, visited the site on Wednesday morning and ordered an immediate stop to the work after inspecting the changes made on the ground. 

Civic officials admitted that the contractor had altered the road width while carrying out construction near Sardar Patel Seva Samaj Hall on C G Road, without timely intervention from the responsible municipal officers.

According to AMC officials, the approved design proposed different road configurations along the stretch. From Mithakhali Junction to Sardar Patel Seva Samaj Hall crossroads, the plan provided for a nine-metre-wide carriageway, a 1.2-metre multi-utility zone, a two-metre-wide footpath on the right side and 2.3 metres of on-street parking.

From the Sardar Patel Seva Samaj Hall crossroads to Girish Coldrinks, the design proposed a nine-metre-wide carriageway with a 1.2-metre footpath on the left side.

The issue came to light after office bearers visited the site following reports that the road had been narrowed. Opposition leaders have since demanded that AMC engineers personally monitor work on the ground instead of relying solely on consultants, alleging negligence by civic officials in overseeing the project.