New Delhi, March 10 – The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved on Tuesday the development of a four-lane corridor on the Badnawar-Petlawad-Thandla-Timarwani section of National Highway-752D, which stretches for 80.45 kilometers with a total capital cost of ₹3,839.42 crore.
The approved corridor will provide connectivity from Ujjain to the Timrawani interchange on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. The primary purpose of the proposed four-lane project corridor is to improve travel efficiency, reducing travel time by approximately one hour.
The 70.40 km Ujjain–Badnawar section has already been upgraded from two lanes to four lanes. The Badnawar–Timrawani stretch is an existing intermediate lane (5.5m) with poor geometry, with a speed of only 20-50 kmph. Upgrading this section will complete the direct four-lane connectivity from Ujjain to the Timrawani interchange on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway (DME) at a speed of 80-100 kmph.
The Timarwani–Thandla–Petlawad–Badnawar–Ujjain corridor is the shortest route for traffic from Gujarat and Maharashtra to Ujjain. Upgrading the Timarwani–Badnawar section will strengthen inter-state connectivity and enable efficient traffic movement, and will also address the increased traffic during the Simhastha Kumbh Mela in April 2028.
The Badnawar-Petlawad Thandla-Timarwani section traverses through the tribal regions of Madhya Pradesh's Dhar & Jhabua districts. Parts of Dhar are covered under the Aspirational Blocks Programme of NITI Aayog. Upgrading this section will provide direct and faster access from the Ujjian-Badnawar–Timarwani corridor to the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway. This improved linkage will reduce logistics costs, facilitate the efficient movement of raw materials and finished goods, and strengthen access to industrial hubs in Indore, Pithampur, Ujjain, and Dewas.
The proposed project provides high-speed connectivity designed for improved safety and uninterrupted traffic movement, reducing travel time, congestion, and operating costs. Importantly, the project will enhance the basic infrastructure in the region, contributing to the overall economic development of the Dhar and Jhabua districts, the statement added.