A 57.80-km stretch of National Highway 41 (NH-41) between Gandhi Dham, also known as Kandla, and Mundra Port in Gujarat will be widened to six lanes at an estimated cost of Rs. 9.91 bn. The project is intended to ease congestion, reduce travel time and improve the movement of goods between the two major ports.

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari announced the approval. The highway carries more than 55,000 Passenger Car Units (PCUs) of traffic each day, with a substantial share comprising trucks transporting goods to and from the ports.

The upgrade will be carried out within the existing Right of Way, allowing the available land along the road to be used for expansion. The plan includes a new flyover and underpasses, along with the reconstruction of major and minor bridges on the route.

Additional road safety measures will be introduced at accident-prone locations. The planned improvements are aimed at making the corridor easier to navigate for heavy vehicles and reducing delays on a route that forms an important link between Deendayal Port, Mundra Port and markets across North India.

The two ports handle goods serving several industrial and agricultural businesses, making NH-41 an important part of the regional transport network. The widening is expected to reduce travel time by around 20 per cent and lower logistics costs for businesses dependent on road transport.

Improved access between the ports is also expected to support trade, industrial activity and employment in Kutch. By providing additional capacity for freight traffic, the project could strengthen the region’s role in Gujarat’s port-linked economy and improve the efficiency of deliveries moving through the corridor.