The state government has halted a proposed Rs 25 billion (bn) expenditure on converting the Rajkot-Atkot section into a six-lane highway and has directed officials to restart the tender and project report process. More than 30,000 vehicles use the Rajkot-Atkot highway every day, and the Roads and Buildings Department had prepared the estimate after completing a tender process. The proposal covered a 45-kilometre stretch from R.K. University Circle in Rajkot to Atkot. Two bypasses are planned between R.K. University Circle and Atkot to allow traffic bound for Bhavnagar and Amreli to avoid Sardhar and Atkot villages, and the department expects the routes to reduce congestion and smooth traffic flow. The design envisaged six-laning along the main corridor alongside bypass construction, with the aim of improving regional connectivity. The district department proposed recarpeting the dilapidated 45-kilometre highway at a cost of Rs 1.93 billion (bn), and the tender has been sent to the state for approval. The resurfacing work is expected to begin after Diwali and to take 11 months to complete, leaving commuters to face continued disruption for nearly a year. Officials identified the poor condition of the carriageway as a contributor to serious accidents along the corridor. Failure to approve the six-laning estimate forced the department to restart the detailed project report and tender procedures, which will extend the timeline for full reconstruction. Motorists and commercial users can expect longer periods of traffic congestion and difficulty on the route until the recarpeting is finished and the six-lane project advances. Local authorities indicated that temporary traffic management measures will be needed while works are carried out. The department said the revised process will revisit alignment choices, environmental clearances and land acquisition plans, and that the bypasses remain central to reducing village-level disruption. Stakeholders urged timely approval of the resurfacing tender to mitigate accident risk and to ease pressure on commuters in the short term. The government will monitor the fresh procurement timeline as the department prepares to resubmit documents for approval.