Cabinet Clears ₹4,416-Cr NH-347B Highway Project in MP

• Cabinet approves ₹4,415.60-crore NH-347B upgradation project in Madhya Pradesh
• 233.65-km corridor to be developed under Hybrid Annuity Mode
• Project includes widening, bypasses and road safety improvements
• Enhanced connectivity to industrial, logistics and tribal regions

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 3rd June: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved a ₹4,415.60-crore highway development project for upgrading key stretches of National Highway-347B in Madhya Pradesh.

The project involves upgrading the existing intermediate lane of the Hiwarkhedi-Roshni-Ashapur-Rudhy section into a two-lane road with paved shoulders over 125.01 km and widening the Deshgaon-Julwaniya section from two lanes to four lanes over 108.64 km.

The total project length is 233.65 km and will be executed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM).

According to the government, the project is aimed at addressing geometric deficiencies, sharp curves and traffic congestion in several urban and semi-urban stretches across Betul, Khandwa, Khargone and Barwani districts.

An extended 16.20-km greenfield bypass around Khargone district will also be developed as part of the project to ease traffic movement and improve road safety.

The Centre said the upgraded corridor will significantly reduce travel time, improve average vehicle speeds, enhance fuel efficiency and lower vehicle operating costs.

The project forms part of the strategic Betul-Khandwa-Vadodara corridor and will strengthen connectivity between central India and western economic hubs.

Officials said the highway will integrate with six PM Gati Shakti economic nodes, including one textile cluster, two mega food parks, one industrial park and two super thermal power plants.

The corridor will also connect five major social development nodes, including the aspirational districts of Khandwa and Barwani and the tribal districts of Betul, Khandwa and Khargone.

In addition, the project will improve access to key logistics infrastructure, including railway stations at Betul and Khandwa, airports at Indore and Nagpur, and the Multi-Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) at Indore.

The highway will connect with major national highways, including NH-47, NH-753, NH-347BG and NH-52, along with State Highway-15 and other major district roads.

The project includes bypass construction of approximately 70.39 km on the Hiwarkhedi-Roshni-Ashapur-Rudhy section and 54.27 km on the Deshgaon-Julwaniya stretch to decongest urban areas and improve traffic flow.

According to official estimates, the project is expected to generate around 19.5 lakh person-days of direct employment and 23 lakh person-days of indirect employment during construction.

The government said the infrastructure upgrade will not only improve transportation efficiency but also contribute to regional economic growth, industrial development and social connectivity across western and central Madhya Pradesh.