By Analiza Pathak

Copyright india

A big boost to Madhya Pradesh’s infrastructure is on the way with work moving ahead on the Bhopal–Indore high-speed expressway. This long-pending project will finally cut the travel time between the two biggest cities of the state. The expressway will be a brand-new six-lane road built on fresh land instead of upgrading old routes. This means smoother travel without the usual city traffic and bottlenecks.
The new expressway will begin from Bhopal’s Western Ring Road and link directly to Indore’s MR-10 passing through the districts of Bhopal Sehore and Dewas and covering about seven tehsils along the way. Unlike the existing route this will be a completely new road. It will connect Bhopal to Sehore via Ichhawar and then reach Dewas through Hatpipliya and Bagli. A key feature of the plan is that the expressway will bypass Dewas city helping reduce traffic jams inside urban areas.
As per the Detailed Project Report (DPR) the distance between Bhopal’s Western Bypass and Indore’s MR-10 will be just 148–150 km compared to the current 195 km route through Dewas. This means the journey will be shorter by nearly 50 km.
Key Highlights of the Indore-Bhopal Expressway
The road will bring down the distance between the two cities by nearly 50 km from 188 km to around 146 km.
Thanks to its high-speed design travel time will drop to just 1.5 to 2 hours compared to the current 3.5–4 hours.
The expressway will begin near Itaya Kalan village on the Bhopal bypass and end near Karnawad on NH-59A.
It will pass through the districts of Bhopal Raisen Sehore and Dewas.
Towns like Sehore Ichhawar and Ashta will still be connected through link roads.
Indore-Bhopal High-Speed Expressway: Completion Timeline
The upcoming expressway is one of the most important infrastructure projects for Madhya Pradesh. A big reason behind its urgency is the 2028 Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Ujjain where lakhs of devotees are expected to travel through Indore. The new high-speed road will help handle this massive traffic smoothly and make travel easier for pilgrims and tourists.
The project is being planned on the lines of the Bharatmala highway model. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has already floated tenders for preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) which is now awaiting approval from the Ministry of Road Transport. Once the final approval comes in construction work will begin.
Indore-Bhopal High-Speed Expressway: Expected Benefits
Industrial growth: Faster movement of goods and people will attract more industries especially from hubs like Mandideep and Mhow and encourage new factories and businesses to set up along the route.
Tourism boost: Shorter travel times will make it easier for visitors to explore the rich history and cultural landmarks in both cities and nearby areas.
New growth centres: The highway is likely to trigger the rise of new townships business clusters and theme-based development projects in regions that are still developing.