Infrastructure Review
CM Bhupendra Patel Reviews 95% Complete Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway, Dholera SIR Infrastructure Progress (January 2026)
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel recently visited the Dholera Special Investment Region to review the in-progress infrastructure and project implementation. A report indicates that 95% of the work on the Ahmedabad-Dholera expressway is near completion, alongside major progress on the airport, semiconductor city, and essential utilities.
| Expressway Completion | 95% of Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway work complete |
|---|---|
| Airport Development Cost | Dholera International Airport cargo terminal and runway being developed at estimated cost of Rs. 1,350 crore |
| Solar Park Operational | 300 MW solar park completed |
| Hospital Beds | 192-bed hospital under construction |
| School Level | School facility up to 12th standard |
| Expressway Length | 109 km long expressway, 4-lane wide (expandable to 8) |
| ABCD Building Status | ABCD building completed along with ICT infrastructure |
| Freight Railway | Bhimnath-Dholera freight railway line under development |
CM's Site Visit and Briefing
Dr Kuldeep Arya, CEO of Dholera SIR and Managing Director of Dholera Industrial City Development Limited, delivered a comprehensive presentation to the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, and senior secretaries. After reviewing updates and remaining tasks, the Chief Minister provided guidance to ensure projects were completed on time and met highest quality standards.
Around 12 project developers working at Dholera SIR presented updates on their project progress and future roadmap, including construction details, to the Chief Minister.
Expressway Progress Nears Completion
95% of the work on the Ahmedabad-Dholera expressway is near completion. The 109 km expressway connects Sardar Patel Ring Road near Sarkhej in Ahmedabad with Adhelai village in Bhavnagar district via Dholera Special Investment Region. The expressway aims to reduce travel time to approximately 40 minutes, compared to the current 2.25 hours by conventional road.
The expressway was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 31 March 2026.
Dholera International Airport Under Construction
The Chief Minister reviewed ongoing construction of the cargo building, terminal building, and runway, being developed at an estimated cost of ₹1,350 crore. The 3,200-metre runway and taxiway have been structurally finalized and are ready for testing ahead of operational use.
The dedicated cargo terminal is expected to start handling international and domestic cargo traffic as early as late 2025 or early 2026. Phase 1 will include a 3200m runway, a 20,000sqm passenger terminal, 3000sqm cargo terminal and 12 aircraft parking stands.
Infrastructure Facilities Completed
All infrastructure facilities, including roads, underground facilities, and plug-and-play infrastructure, have been completed in Dholera. Essential facilities such as water treatment plant, sewage treatment plant, common effluent treatment plant, ICT infrastructure, and the ABCD building have also been completed, along with a 300 MW solar park.
Tata Power Solar commissioned a 300 MW project in Dholera, which is India's largest single-axis solar tracker system. The project generates 774 MUs annually and reduces approximately 704,340 MT/year of carbon emission.
Social Infrastructure and Semicon City
The Chief Minister inspected various ongoing construction projects within Dholera Semicon City, including the hospital, school, fire station, residential complex, tent city, and food court. The presentation covered ongoing projects at Dholera SIR, including the Bhimnath-Dholera freight railway line, a 192-bed hospital, a school up to 12th standard, a fire station, and residential facilities for investors.
The Chief Minister reviewed the progress of the Tata Electronics semiconductor plant being set up in Dholera Semicon City and met with Tata officials to evaluate the construction progress of the plant. The state government is working to develop Dholera Smart City into a 'Semicon City' as part of this initiative, a semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem is being developed within Dholera Smart City.
What Comes Next
The expressway was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 31 March 2026, advancing the region's connectivity timeline. Passenger terminal building and Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower construction is progressing rapidly, with the first phase of the airport expected to become operational in early 2026, allowing initial passenger and cargo services.
The Bhimnath-Dholera freight railway line remains under development and in January 2026, authorities fast-tracked the Final Location Survey (FLS) for the Bhimnath broad gauge railway line, which determines the exact alignment for the tracks. Gujarat plans to develop Dholera into the world's largest data centre city through the newly launched 'Viksit Gujarat - Data Centre Policy 2026-29'.
Sources
- CM Shri Bhupendra Patel Reviews On-Site Progress of Overall Development Works Dholera SIR
- Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway construction 95% complete; CM reviews progress of Dholera SIR
- Bhupendra Patel reviews major projects at Dholera
- Ahmedabad–Dholera Expressway - Wikipedia
- Dholera International Airport - Wikipedia
- Dholera International Airport: Latest Update 2026
- Tata Power Solar – 300 MW Solar Plant in Dholera
- Dholera Smart City Project Updates: Schools, Healthcare, Housing
- Ahmedabad Dholera Vande Metro – 2026 Route & Updates
- Gujarat Plans Dholera as World's Largest Data Centre City