Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for a slate of infrastructure projects worth over Rs 18,000 crore in Surat on Friday (June 5), the government said, in a major push to strengthen regional connectivity, lower logistics costs and expand industrial and environmental infrastructure across South Gujarat.
Major expressway sections, highway upgrades on the agenda
Among the headline projects are two packages of the Vadodara–Mumbai Expressway (Package VI: 36 km KIM‑ENA and Package VII: 27.5 km Gandeva‑ENA) developed at a combined cost of Rs 7,689 crore. The packages include an extensive network of major and minor bridges, rail-over bridges, flyovers and 70 underpasses, plus two interchanges to improve local connectivity. Officials noted that seven wayside amenities will be developed across the sections to enhance driver convenience.
“The operationalisation of this eight‑lane corridor will significantly improve connectivity in the region and speed up freight movement along the Delhi–Mumbai corridor, reducing logistics costs for local industry,” the official release said. The work is aligned with Bharatmala objectives to bolster freight efficiency and regional linkages.
In addition, foundation stones will be laid for four National Highways projects worth Rs 4,732 crore. These include the four‑laning of NH‑56 (Package 4) from Dhamasia to Bitada/Movi and NH‑56 (Package 6) from Nasarpore to Malotha, a six‑lane vehicle underpass (Reliance), and a VUP‑cum‑flyover at Kawas on the Surat–Hazira stretch of NH‑53. Two projects worth Rs 149 crore are planned on the Hazira Port–Surat section of NH‑53: a six‑lane flyover and a vehicle underpass to ease heavy‑goods movement to Hazira Port.
Projects to connect tribal districts, industry clusters and ports
The 107.67 km four‑lane corridor under the NH‑56 upgrade is projected to cut travel time by about 40 minutes and raise average vehicle speeds by nearly 75%. It will link pharma and medical clusters, fishing and seafood hubs, tribal regions and critical logistics nodes including one airport, two railway stations and two ports, thereby supporting farmers, industries and regional trade.
These stretches will enhance connectivity to the Statue of Unity and tribal districts of Narmada, Tapi, Valsad and Chhota Udepur, while integrating local production clusters with national and international logistics routes.
GIDC, pollution control and industrial drainage works
The package also includes eight Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) projects worth Rs 1,063.43 crore focused on industrial infrastructure, effluent disposal and drainage management in South Gujarat’s industrial belts. Bharuch will receive six GIDC projects valued at Rs 894 crore and Valsad two projects worth Rs 169 crore.
Bharuch, home to large chemical and petrochemical clusters, will see significant environmental infrastructure upgrades. At the Dahej PCPIR, a 90 MLD offshore and onshore effluent disposal pipeline has been constructed from the Saykha Pumping Station to the Dahej landfall point, including civil works, electro‑mechanical systems and PLC‑SCADA integration, plus five years of operation and maintenance.
The Prime Minister will inaugurate a 30 MLD drainage pumping station for the Dahej‑2 Industrial Estate, which includes a rising main from the Suva Pumping Station to the final pumping station at Z‑93. At Jambusar’s Bulk Drug Park in Bharuch, roads, stormwater drainage networks and a central drain have been developed to support pharmaceutical manufacturing units.
In Valsad’s Sarigam industrial estate, the upgraded Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) capacity has been raised from 15 MLD to 25 MLD. An HDPE onshore and offshore outfall pipeline, sump and pumping station have also been commissioned to improve effluent management for units in the estate.
Local industry and logistics gains
Officials highlighted that over 1,000 industrial units are operational in the Dahej area and that the new projects will help lower logistics costs, reduce congestion near Hazira Port and support safer movement of goods and commuters in high‑density industrial corridors.
“The combination of highway upgrades, expressway operationalisation and industrial infrastructure investments will bolster South Gujarat’s growth trajectory—improving speed to market for exporters and easing supply‑chain bottlenecks for domestic industry,” the release added.
The Prime Minister’s visit coincides with World Environment Day on Friday, underscoring the administration’s stated emphasis on environmentally sensitive industrial growth. In total, national highway projects worth Rs 12,421 crore will be inaugurated or have foundation stones laid, complementing the broader Rs 18,000‑plus crore package of works announced for the Surat visit.