The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday approved the construction of a four-lane highway corridor between Badnawar, Petlawad, Thandla and Timarwani in Madhya Pradesh at a cost of ₹3,839.42 crore.
The project involves the development of an 80.45 km stretch of National Highway 752D, which will connect Ujjain to the Timarwani interchange of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. The highway will be developed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM).
The CCEA said the project aims to improve travel efficiency and reduce travel time along the route by nearly one hour. While the Ujjain-Badnawar section of 70.40 km has already been upgraded from two lanes to four lanes, the Badnawar-Timarwani stretch currently remains an intermediate lane road with limited width and poor geometry, allowing vehicle speeds of only 20–50 km per hour.
Upgrading this stretch will complete a continuous four-lane corridor from Ujjain to the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway, enabling vehicles to travel at speeds of 80-100 km per hour.
The corridor is also considered strategically important as it forms the shortest route connecting traffic from Gujarat and Maharashtra to Ujjain. The improved connectivity is expected to facilitate smoother movement of traffic, particularly during the Simhastha Kumbh Mela scheduled in April 2028 in Ujjain.
The project route passes through tribal regions of Dhar and Jhabua districts, with parts of Dhar included in the Aspirational Blocks Programme of NITI Aayog.
The CCEA said the upgraded highway will strengthen inter-state connectivity and provide faster access to key industrial centres and logistics hubs in cities such as Indore, Pithampur, Ujjain and Dewas. It is expected to lower logistics costs and enable more efficient transportation of raw materials and finished goods.
The project includes the construction of six major bridges, 34 minor bridges, one road under bridge and multiple vehicle underpasses, designed to ensure safer and uninterrupted traffic movement.
According to the CCEA, the construction period is expected to be 24 months, while the concession period will be 17 years, including two years for construction and 15 years for operation and maintenance.
