The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is seeking bids to widen the Ahmedabad-Rajkot and Bamanbore-Samakhiali section of the national highway grid at a cost of Rs30bn ($596mm).

The highway stretches have four lanes, which will be widened to six lanes to provide link to ports in the region.

The existing lanes allow vehicles to travel at a speed of 60-70km an hour, the expansion will allow vehicles to travel at 80km an hour, reducing journey time to three hours from the current three-and-a-half hours.

NHAI will prepare a feasibility study to determine the technical and financial viability of the project before going ahead, according to timesofindia.com.