Gujarat’s two largest commercial cities — Ahmedabad and Vadodara — have had a fast road between them for over two decades. The Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway, colloquially called the Baroda Expressway after Vadodara’s older name, was opened on August 16, 2004, making it one of India’s first access-controlled expressway projects to complete after the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. It holds the formal designation of National Expressway 1 (NE-1) — a title assigned in 1986 even before construction began, as the first project in NHAI’s expressway development programme.
The 93.1-kilometre corridor runs from Naroda Road in Ahmedabad to NH-64 at Vadodara, cutting travel time between the two cities from two and a half hours to approximately one hour. The expressway carries four lanes — two in each direction — with two exit loops en route, at Nadiad/Kheda and Anand. Two-wheelers are prohibited, and the speed limit is 80 km/h. Car toll is ₹125 one-way.
The expressway is locally known as Mahatma Gandhi Expressway and is also formally designated as such — a name that places it within Gujarat’s tradition of honouring its most significant modern figure in its most significant infrastructure. The expressway’s alignment passes through the Charotar — the fertile zone of the Kheda and Anand districts famous for the Amul dairy cooperative movement, tobacco cultivation, and the densely productive agricultural economy of the Mahi River zone. The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway now connects to the Baroda Expressway at Vadodara, making NE-1 a feeder road into India’s longest expressway.
Baroda Expressway Overview
| Detail | Information |
| Official Name | Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway / Mahatma Gandhi Expressway / National Expressway 1 (NE-1) |
| Popular Name | Baroda Expressway |
| Maintained By | NHAI |
| Length | 93.1 km |
| Lanes | 4-lane (2 lanes each side) |
| From | Naroda Road, Ahmedabad |
| To | NH-64, Vadodara |
| Opened | August 16, 2004 |
| Travel Time | ~1 hour (vs earlier 2.5 hours) |
| Speed Limit | 80 km/h |
| Car Toll | ₹125 one-way |
| Two-Wheelers | Prohibited |
| Exit Loops | Nadiad/Kheda and Anand |
| State | Gujarat |
| NE-1 Status | Designated 1986 — India’s first NHAI expressway project |
| Delhi-Mumbai Expressway | Connects to NE-1 at Vadodara — making it a feeder into India’s longest expressway |
| Connects To | NH-48 at Vadodara; Ahmedabad ring road at Naroda |
Route and Location
The expressway begins at Naroda Road in Ahmedabad’s northeastern industrial zone and runs southward through the Kheda district agricultural plains, past the Nadiad and Anand exit loops, before reaching Vadodara’s NH-64 junction. The Charotar zone through which it passes is among Gujarat’s most agriculturally productive — the Amul dairy cooperative movement originated in Anand, and the Anand exit loop is the gateway to that heritage.
Connectivity
At Vadodara, NE-1 connects to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway — when that expressway is fully operational, Vadodara becomes a critical node linking Ahmedabad to the Delhi-Mumbai national expressway chain. At Ahmedabad, the expressway connects to the city’s ring road and onward to the Ahmedabad-Dholera Expressway (inaugurated March 31, 2026).
Nearby Areas
Anand — the birthplace of India’s White Revolution and the headquarters of Amul, the world’s largest dairy cooperative — is accessible from the Anand exit loop. Vadodara’s Lakshmi Vilas Palace, the largest private residence in India and the seat of the Gaekwad dynasty, is one of India’s finest examples of Indo-Saracenic architecture at the expressway’s southern terminus.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What is the Baroda Expressway?
A: The 93.1-km Ahmedabad-Vadodara Expressway (NE-1 / Mahatma Gandhi Expressway) — India’s first NHAI expressway project, opened August 2004. Reduces Ahmedabad-Vadodara travel to 1 hour.
Q2. What is the car toll on the Baroda Expressway?
A: ₹125 one-way for cars. Speed limit 80 km/h. Two-wheelers are prohibited.
Q3. Where are the exit loops on the Baroda Expressway?
A: At Nadiad/Kheda and Anand — two of Gujarat’s most commercially significant agricultural towns.
Q4. How does the Baroda Expressway connect to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway?
A: The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway connects to NE-1 at Vadodara — making the Baroda Expressway a feeder into the country’s longest expressway corridor.
Q5. What is the official name of the Baroda Expressway?
A: National Expressway 1 (NE-1) / Mahatma Gandhi Expressway — designated NE-1 in 1986 as the first project of NHAI’s expressway programme.