New Expressway to Shorten Indore-Bhopal Distance by 55km

The distance between Bhopal and Indore, two major cities in Madhya Pradesh, could be reduced by 55 km. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has prepared a proposal for a new expressway between Bhopal and Indore and sent it to the central government. It is reported that after the construction of this new expressway, travel between Bhopal and Indore will become significantly easier, reducing the distance from 200 km to 145 km. The journey from Bhopal to Indore is expected to be completed in just two hours via this expressway.

NHAI Proposes Three Expressway Options

Devansh Nuwal, Project Director of NHAI, stated that three options for the express highway have been developed. Two options connect the Western Bypass to the Indore Eastern Ring Road, while one option connects Mandideep to the Eastern Ring Road. The central government will decide which option to approve, and work will commence accordingly. The construction cost of this high-speed expressway is estimated to be between ₹6,000 and ₹8,000 crore. Currently, the journey from Bhopal to Indore takes three and a half to four hours; the new expressway aims to reduce this to two hours.

Land Acquisition Across Three Districts

Approximately 11 hectares of land will be acquired in three districts – Bhopal, Sehore, and Dewas – for the construction of this new expressway between Bhopal and Indore. After receiving approval from the central government, the demarcation and land acquisition process will begin. The decision on whether to construct the express highway under a BOT, NUT, or other model will be made after receiving central government approval. The toll rates and other such decisions will also be made subsequently.