Gadkari, Yadav unveil MP’s longest flyover, launch over Rs 4K cr road projects in Jabalpur

Bhopal: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Saturday inaugurated and laid the foundation for nine road projects worth over Rs 4,250 crore, covering 174 km across the state. The centrepiece was the launch of the state’s longest flyover, Damoh Naka–Ranital–Madan Mahal–Medical Road in Jabalpur, At a public event, Gadkari announced fresh projects worth more than Rs 60,000 crore for Madhya Pradesh. In a first for the country, a Central Road Fund (CRF) allocation of Rs 1,200 crore has been sanctioned for the Rani Durgavati Flyover in the city. The Union Minister said India is moving with the vision of becoming a global power by 2047. Highlighting hydrogen as the “fuel of the future,” he said India would shift from fuel imports to energy exports, with farmers emerging as both food and energy producers. He also spoke of building “smart villages” alongside smart cities to ensure rural youth find employment locally.

Among the key announcements were five greenfield economic corridors worth Rs 33,000 crore, including the Rs 15,000-crore, 255-km Bhopal–Jabalpur highway, and the Rs 10,000-crore, 220-km Lakhnadon–Raipur high-speed corridor connecting to the Visakhapatnam port. A Rs 5,500-crore four-lane road linking Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Panna and Pench tiger reserves was also cleared, aimed at boosting tourism and employment. Gadkari said travel time from Gwalior to Delhi will be cut to 4.5 hours once the Agra–Gwalior expressway is operational, while 245 km of the Delhi–Mumbai expressway in MP is already complete. Other projects include new flyovers in Ujjain, Jabalpur and Rewa, a Rs 510-crore road and flyover in Ujjain, and seven ropeways, including one connecting Ujjain station to the Mahakal temple. Projects linking Satna–Chitrakoot, Rewa–Sidhi, Gwalior–Bhind and Khajuraho–Bandhavgarh were also announced. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav termed the projects “transformative,” crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gadkari for ensuring that roads become “the foundation of national strength and prosperity.” The event was attended by Deputy CM Rajendra Shukla, Ministers Rakesh Shukla, Prahlad Patel and MP VD Sharma.