Karnataka, which will hold elections before May of this year, received money for a number of national highway projects, according to Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways. Gadkari said on Twitter that he had approved spending Rs 1.96 billion for an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) model to enlarge the two lanes of NH-166E's Kanamadi- Bijjaragi-Tikota segment (which runs along the border between Maharashtra and Karnataka). In addition, Gadkari said that NH-548B Murrum (the Maharashtra border) to IB circle (Vijayapura) segment would be widened to two lanes with a paved shoulder under the EPC model. A budget of Rs 3.33 billion was also approved by Gadkari for the construction of a bypass using an EPC model at Kukunoor, Yelburga, Gajendragad, and the Bhanapur Gaddanakeri stretch of NH-367 in the Koppal district and Gadag. Additionally, he approved spending Rs 4.45 billion to widen NH-367 from Bhanapur to Gaddanakeri in the Bagalkot district from one lane to two lanes with a paved shoulder from Sarjapur to Pattadakal. In addition, the Union Minister announced that a budget of Rs 9.09 billion has been approved for the building of access-controlled four lanes with a paved shoulder from Mysore to the Kushalnagar part of NH-275 near Guddehosur at the beginning of Kushalnagar bypass in the Mysore district. In addition, the minister announced the construction of an access-controlled four-lane highway with a paved shoulder from Mysore to Kushalnagar in the Mysore district at Yelachenahalli, close to the intersection of Yelawala-KR Nagar Road. The project is expected to cost Rs 7.39 billion. The minister was praised by Basavaraj Bommai, Chief Minister, Karnataka, for approving the project's funding. Pratap Simha, the MP for Mysuru-Kodagu, has already pleaded with the Union Finance Ministry to provide funding for the Mysuru-Kushalnagar motorway, which is expected to cost Rs 40 billion. Also read: Bonds issued by NHAI InvIT to mature every 15 days and yield 8.5% NHAI floats e-tender for Outer Ring Road project in Thiruvananthapuram