Union Minister Nitin Gadkari To Inaugurate Multiple Projects In MP

(MENAFN- IANS) Bhopal, Jan 17 (IANS) Saturday marks an important milestone for Madhya Pradesh road development as Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will inaugurate completed sections and lay foundation stones for new segments of eight national highway projects together valued at more than Rs 4,400 crore.

According to government officials, the event is scheduled in Vidisha at the old Mandi. Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will accompany him on the occasion as the start of a fresh phase of progress for the state, a BJP local office-bearer said.

The combined length of these initiatives reaches roughly 181 kilometres, and they will reinforce connectivity throughout Central India with particular benefits reaching the Bundelkhand belt. The upgrades are expected to open new pathways for regional economic expansion, industrial expansion and simpler daily commuting.

The completion of these national highway projects will bring smoother traffic movement along key industrial, agricultural and tourism corridors, including the vital Bhopal-Vidisha-Sagar-Rahatgarh-Biaora stretch, a local BJP office-bearer said.

The four-lane widening work is designed to cut down travel time noticeably while delivering measurable savings in fuel consumption, lowering vehicle emissions and raising overall road safety standards. Several stretches have received targeted upgrades, such as black spot corrections, underpasses and geometric redesigns, all aimed at bringing down accident probabilities.

Alongside the highway works, foundation stones will be laid for three state-of-the-art driving training centres. These facilities, built under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways framework, follow the Institute of Driving Training and Research and the Regional Driving Training Centre models.

Equipped with contemporary simulators and instructional setups, the centres will focus on instilling safe, disciplined and responsible driving habits among learners. The long term goals include a tangible drop in road crashes and the creation of skill-based job opportunities for young people entering the workforce.

One of the highlighted components is the four-lane widening of the 12-kilometre Abdullaganj-Itarsi section passing through the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary area at a cost of Rs 418 crore. This stretch forms an essential link within the larger Obedullaganj-Itarsi Betul corridor that improves access toward Nagpur via Betul.

Earlier, the two-lane configuration created persistent bottlenecks and heavy congestion. Once widened, the road will allow freer flow of vehicles, saving between 15 and 30 minutes per journey along with corresponding reductions in fuel use and exhaust pollution.

To protect the biodiversity, the design includes dedicated animal underpasses and sound-insulated corridors that permit tigers and other wildlife to cross safely, thereby helping minimise instances of human wildlife conflict in the region.

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