The construction of an ambitious highway corridor connecting Madhya Pradesh’s financial capital Indore to Hyderabad is expected to be completed by December this year, with three tunnels being carved through mountainous terrain to ensure safer and smoother travel, officials said.

These tunnels will spare motorists from navigating steep, narrow and risky ghat roads, improving safety and traffic flow along the route, they said.

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) regional officer Shravan Kumar Singh said the Indore–Ichhapur National Highway project in Madhya Pradesh is progressing as scheduled.

"The Indore-Ichhapur National Highway being built in Madhya Pradesh would be completed by December this year," Singh told reporters on Monday after inspecting the construction work.

The four-lane highway is expected to ease traffic congestion, reduce accidents on the busy interstate route and significantly cut travel time, officials said.

According to Singh, the project will also enhance connectivity to the Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga.

"This highway will also facilitate vehicular movement between Indore and Hyderabad via Jalgaon in Maharashtra," Singh added.

Officials said the 33.40-km stretch of the highway between Tejaji Nagar in Indore and Balwada in Khargone district is particularly challenging, as it runs through rugged hills and steep ghats.

To overcome these obstacles and improve road safety, three tunnels are being constructed using modern electronic blasting technology. These include the 575-metre-long Bherughat tunnel, the 550-metre-long Choral Ghat tunnel, and the 480-metre-long Baigram tunnel, which will help eliminate the hazardous ghat section along the route, they said.