Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday (4 April) announced the approval of Rs 758 crore for four-laning a 22-kilometre stretch of National Highway 46 on the Itarsi-Betul section in Madhya Pradesh -- a segment that passes through a tiger corridor.
"Approval has been granted for the 22 km long Tiger Corridor in the Itarsi-Betul section of National Highway-46 in Madhya Pradesh at a cost of 758 crore rupees to convert it into a 4-lane highway," Gadkari
The project will include 11 dedicated underpasses and overpasses to allow wildlife to cross the highway safely, reducing road accidents and animal deaths in the surrounding forest areas.
The section falls near Madhav National Park, Ratapani, and Satpura Tiger Reserve, and the animal passages are designed to minimise human-wildlife conflict along the corridor.
Gadkari noted that the region is a significant agricultural hub and is also rich in natural resources including coal, copper, graphite, and lead-zinc. Four-laning the stretch is expected to cut freight transit time, improve road safety in the hilly terrain, and ease farmers' access to markets and mandis in the area.
Once this remaining 22-kilometre section is upgraded, the entire Gwalior-Betul corridor will become a continuous four-lane highway.
The minister said this will reduce overall travel time, enhance safety on the mountainous stretches, and provide a boost to eco-tourism in the three tiger reserves located along the route.