Bhopal, May 29 (IANS) The ambitious Jabalpur Outer Ring Road project being developed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is set to emerge as a major infrastructure milestone for Madhya Pradesh, promising to transform connectivity and accelerate economic growth across the Mahakaushal region.

Spread across 114 kilometres and being constructed at an estimated cost of nearly Rs 3,540 crore, the four‑lane Greenfield corridor is expected to significantly reduce traffic congestion in Jabalpur while strengthening trade, tourism, agriculture and industrial activity in the region.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Public Works Minister Rakesh Singh described the project as a “game changer” for Jabalpur and adjoining districts.

He said the project would provide a new direction to the development of the Jabalpur region. It will not only reduce traffic pressure inside the city but will also strengthen regional trade, tourism and industrial activities.

The project has been designed primarily to divert heavy and long‑distance vehicles away from the city limits, ensuring smoother and faster movement of traffic connecting Madhya Pradesh with Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.

Once completed, commercial and transit vehicles travelling across these states will no longer need to pass through the crowded urban stretches of Jabalpur, Singh said.

Over the past several years, rapid urbanisation and increasing industrial activity have led to mounting traffic congestion in the city. Long traffic snarls, delays in transportation and rising fuel consumption had become a routine challenge for commuters and transporters alike, Singh, who is a local politician from Jabalpur, further stated.

The Outer Ring Road will offer a long‑term solution by creating an efficient bypass corridor around the city.

To ensure timely implementation, the project has been divided into five construction packages covering Barela‑Manegaon, Manegaon‑NH‑45, NH‑45‑Kushner, Kushner‑Amjhar and Amjhar‑Barela stretches.

Together, these sections will form a complete transport network around Jabalpur and improve road connectivity to nearby towns, villages and the Jabalpur Airport.

Highlighting the tourism potential of the project, Singh said improved connectivity would make travel easier to prominent destinations such as Bhedaghat, Dhuandhar Falls, Gwari Ghat and Kanha National Park.

He added that the new Ring Road would strengthen tourism infrastructure and generate employment opportunities for local people.

–IANS

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