Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has announced a new wave of road infrastructure projects for Madhya Pradesh valued at more than ₹60,000 crore, reinforcing the state’s growing importance in India’s highway development map. Speaking at an event in Jabalpur alongside Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Gadkari not only inaugurated and laid foundation stones for nine projects covering 174 kilometres with an investment of over ₹4,250 crore but also laid out an ambitious roadmap that extends far beyond the immediate works. Among the completed inaugurations was Jabalpur’s new Damoh Naka–Ranitall–Madanmahal–Medical Road Flyover, the state’s longest, which is expected to significantly reduce city traffic congestion.
Gadkari underlined that the central government has already sanctioned projects worth nearly ₹3 lakh crore for Madhya Pradesh. Out of these, projects worth ₹75,000 crore have been completed while another ₹65,000 crore worth of works are currently in progress. Detailed project reports covering nearly 2,500 kilometres of highways are being prepared, reflecting a pipeline of close to ₹1.5 lakh crore more in works. This forward planning is part of a strategy to not only improve connectivity but also enhance the state’s economic competitiveness across industries.
One of the most notable highlights is the state’s development of five Greenfield Economic Corridors at a cost of around ₹33,000 crore. A landmark bridge across the Narmada near Omkareshwar on the Indore–Hyderabad Corridor has already been completed and will be inaugurated soon. These economic corridors are expected to reduce logistics costs, improve freight efficiency, and shorten travel times between key industrial and commercial hubs.
Among the high-profile projects, the 440 kilometre Bhopal–Kanpur Economic Corridor is designed to cut travel time from around 15 hours to just 8, reshaping inter-state mobility for passengers and freight. Similarly, the upcoming Agra–Gwalior Expressway, for which the foundation ceremony will be conducted shortly, will allow Gwalior–Delhi road travel in just 4.5 hours. Gadkari also confirmed that the 245 kilometre stretch of the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway running through Madhya Pradesh is now complete, while the Maharashtra portion is nearing its final phase.
For Jabalpur, the minister announced projects worth ₹15,000 crore including a 150 kilometre six-lane widening from Jabalpur to Mandla up to the Chhattisgarh border. Work on this is scheduled to begin within six months. The Seoni–Chhindwara–Savner road will also be upgraded to four lanes at a cost of ₹2,500 crore. Additional approvals have been given for the widening of the Khargone–Deshgaon–Julwaniya road and the Betul–Parsawada stretch up to Maharashtra, enhancing interstate connectivity.
A unique feature of the infrastructure plan is the proposed Tiger Corridor connecting Jabalpur to Bandhavgarh. Initially estimated at ₹4,600 crore and now revised to ₹5,500 crore, this four-lane road will link major tiger reserves including Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Panna, and Pench. Officials believe it will provide a sustainable balance between ecological tourism and improved accessibility, supporting employment and local economies tied to wildlife tourism.
Looking ahead, Gadkari announced a new 255 kilometre Greenfield Highway between Bhopal and Jabalpur with a projected cost of ₹15,000 crore. The detailed project report is expected by December, with construction likely to start in April or May 2026 once land acquisition is completed. Another high-speed corridor linking Lakhnadoun to Raipur will be built at a cost of ₹10,000 crore, directly connecting Madhya Pradesh to Visakhapatnam Port via the Raipur–Visakhapatnam Corridor. The 160 kilometre Indore–Bhopal Greenfield Corridor at ₹12,000 crore has also been approved.
In addition to these major highways, a series of regional projects have been sanctioned, including the Satna–Chitrakoot, Rewa–Sidhi, and Gwalior–Bhind four-lane roads. The Ujjain–Jhalawar and Badnawar–Timarni routes, each costing ₹2,000 crore, will also be developed. The Bamitha–Panna–Satna road will strengthen connectivity between Khajuraho and Bandhavgarh National Parks, while a six-lane Eastern Bypass for Indore, a four-lane road from Indore to Harda, and a new bypass for Gwalior are also in the pipeline. Seven ropeway projects have been sanctioned as well, including links to Ujjain’s Mahakal Temple and civic hubs in Jabalpur.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav praised the scale of investment, emphasizing that a nation’s destiny is often determined by the strength of its roads. He credited Gadkari’s management style for ensuring steady funding for such infrastructure initiatives, asserting that the projects would reshape connectivity, tourism, commerce, and employment opportunities in Madhya Pradesh for decades to come.
