Amajor step has been taken to revitalise road connectivity in Madhya Pradesh. Construction of a 320-kilometre-long greenfield, access-controlled, four-lane corridor between Bhopal and Gwalior has begun.
The Madhya Pradesh Road Development Corporation (MPRDC) has issued a tender to prepare the project’s detailed project report (DPR). Upon completion, this ambitious project will reduce the distance between the two cities by approximately 100 km, significantly shortening travel times.
To prepare the DPR, a comprehensive survey will be conducted at a cost of Rs 6.23 crore. The selected agency will study three possible alignments and select the most suitable route. It is currently unclear which cities and villages the new four-lane road will pass through. The final route will be determined based on technical parameters such as topography, traffic, land acquisition, environmental impact, and construction costs.
Fully Controlled Corridor To Be Built On New Route
The proposed road will be developed as a greenfield access-controlled corridor which will be built on an entirely new route, and vehicles will only be able to enter and exit through designated interchanges. This will make travel safer, faster, and more seamless.
During the DPR, three potential routes will be technically vetted using a GIS-based survey. Following this, the final alignment will be approved after obtaining the necessary permissions from the relevant departments. The MPRDC has set a 12-month deadline for preparing the DPR.
The consultant agency will have to prepare a detailed proposal of the geometric design of the road, bridges, interchanges, bypasses, service roads, drainage system, land acquisition, shifting of utilities and other technical aspects so that the project can be implemented without any hindrance.
Currently, to travel from Bhopal to Gwalior, a distance of approximately 428 km is required via Shivpuri and Guna, which takes approximately 7.5 hours. After the proposed greenfield corridor is completed, this distance will be reduced to approximately 320 km. This will not only speed up the journey but also save both fuel and time.
This project is considered an important initiative towards developing modern, safe and high-speed road connectivity between two major cities of Madhya Pradesh.