Bhopal and Indore-Ujjain Metropolitan Regions to be Strengthened with New Roads: Chief Minister Dr. Yadav

Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav has stated that the rapidly expanding road infrastructure in the state is helping citizens fully benefit from development. He said that the economies of the two metropolitan regions, Bhopal and Indore-Ujjain, have already begun benefiting directly from these infrastructure projects. In the future, the Jabalpur and Gwalior metropolitan regions will also benefit from infrastructure development initiatives.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that the Indore-Ujjain six-lane road, the Ujjain-Jaora Greenfield four-lane highway, and the Indore-Ujjain Greenfield four-lane highway will open new avenues of development for the entire region.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav, while reviewing the Public Works Department in detail at the Mantralaya on Thursday, directed that all road construction works related to Simhastha 2028 be completed a few months before the event, keeping public convenience in mind. Public Works Minister Shri Rakesh Singh, Chief Secretary Shri Anurag Jain, and other officials were present in the meeting.

Efforts to Save Precious Lives Appreciated

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that the success achieved in reducing road accidents through road construction, the use of innovations, and various safety measures is commendable. He directed the Public Works Department to coordinate with other departments during the ‘Krishak Kalyan Varsh’ to distribute helmets to farmers travelling from villages to cities with vegetables and fruits, in order to reduce two-wheeler accidents on roads. The Chief Minister said that the Public Works Department and other departments should work together to save precious lives. Accident-prone routes should be identified, and first-aid centres should also be operated nearby through inter-departmental coordination.

Road Accidents Reduced by 15 to 20 Per Cent in Madhya Pradesh

It was informed during the meeting that 481 black spots have currently been identified in the state. The Public Works Department has been continuously working to reduce road accidents. To address black spots, several road safety measures have been undertaken, including speed restrictions in school zones, installation of special warning signs, clear directional signage for vehicles, lane discipline markings, and road markings.

Innovation in the Approval Process for Construction Works

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav reviewed the innovations introduced by the department in the approval process for construction works. Before approval of any project, technical suitability and necessity are now being certified by the concerned Chief Engineer.

Similarly, mandatory measures at the Chief Engineer level now include on-site analysis of actual project requirements, traffic density, future demand, and regional connectivity; route alignment through the PM Gati Shakti portal; testing of multimodal infrastructure coordination and interconnectivity; GIS-based planning and data-driven decision-making; and network planning and alignment testing for new routes. These reforms have yielded positive results.

Improvement of bridges and culverts, construction of VC roads in habitation areas, and mandatory site inspections by Executive Engineers have also been implemented.

Fast-Tracking Ring Road Projects

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav directed officials to expedite the ring road construction works in state. It was informed that the 35.6-km-long Western Bhopal Bypass is targeted for completion within the next two-and-a-half years.

The ring roads of Jabalpur, Gwalior, and Ujjain are expected to be completed within the next one-and-a-half years. Initiatives have also been taken to construct new ring roads in medium and smaller cities such as Ratlam, Dewas, Sagar, Satna, Rewa and Katni, where traffic pressure is increasing.

In coordination with municipal corporations and other agencies, work is also underway to convert existing bypasses into ring roads.

Railway Overbridges and Elevated Corridors

Madhya Pradesh is among the leading states in the construction of railway overbridges (ROBs). Under the Government of India’s initiative to eliminate unsafe railway crossings, the Public Works Department is constructing railway overbridges and underbridges. These projects are helping reduce traffic congestion and accidents while also saving travel time.

A total of 105 ROBs have been constructed on PWD roads in the state. In addition, 16 ROBs under the Road Development Corporation and 25 ROBs and RUBs under NHAI have been approved.

Urban connectivity in the state is also being strengthened through elevated corridors. Work on the elevated corridor in Jabalpur has been completed, while nearly three-fourths of the work in Gwalior and Bhopal has been completed. Corridor projects have also commenced in Indore and Ujjain.

Pragati Paths to Accelerate the State’s Growth

Six Pragati Path projects are currently under construction in the state. Of these, 68 per cent work on the Narmada Pragati Path and 92 per cent work on the Malwa-Nimar Development Path have been completed.

Work on the Madhya Bharat Development Path has reached 61 per cent completion, while 33 per cent of the Bundelkhand Development Path has been completed. Work on the Vindhya Expressway has also commenced, while the necessary procedures for the construction of the Atal Pragati Path are underway.

Public Works Minister Shri Rakesh Singh briefed the meeting on various departmental initiatives. He informed that innovative naming, such as Krishak Path, Aastha Path, and Vikas Path, is being adopted for new roads, along with the use of various apps and capacity-building initiatives.

Principal Secretary, Public Works, Shri Sukhveer Singh, gave a presentation on the progress of departmental works. He specifically highlighted projects including the six-laning of Indore-Ujjain State Highway-59, the Ujjain-Jaora four-lane highway, the Indore-Ujjain four-lane highway, the Western Bhopal Bypass, the Narmadapuram-Timarni section of State Highway-67, the Seoni Malwa Bypass two-lane project, the Sagar-Damoh four-lane road, and the Barwah-Dhamnod four-lane road project.

Managing Director of Madhya Pradesh Road Development Corporation, Shri Bharat Yadav and other officials were also present in the meeting.