The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has approved the incorporation of Madhya Pradesh's ATAL progress-way project in the Bharatmala Pariyojana (BMP) phase 1 in the highways sector projects.
MP Public Works Department (PWD) Principal Secretary Neeraj Mandloi said that the new expressway would be 404 km long in Madhya Pradesh. The new expressway passes through the Bhind, Morena, and Sheopur districts of the Chambal region and connects Jhansi in the east Uttar Pradesh and Kota in the west Rajasthan.
The Rs 7,000 crore new expressway is expected to boost the Gwalior and Chambal division's development. The BMP is a new umbrella program of the Centre for the highways sector.
Chouhan said Madhya Pradesh's ATAL progress-way project would prove to be a lifeline for the Gwalior and Chambal divisions' development. An industrial corridor will be built, around the new expressway, which will become an essential link in the area's economic development.
As per the release, the new expressway route from Jhansi to Kota will benefit the three districts of Madhya Pradesh as the travel time will be reduced from 11 hours to 6 hours.
The land to be used in the 404 km new expressway has been made available by the state government at its own expense, it said.
Tenders for this project worth Rs 7,000 crore will be invited very soon, MP PWD Minister Goptal Bhargava said.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is constructing the project and its detailed project report was prepared by the state government in four months and presented to the Centre, the release said.
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