The upgrade aims to improve travel efficiency and is expected to reduce travel time by approximately one hour. The Ujjain–Badnawar section of 70.4 kilometre has already been upgraded from two?lane to four?lane, while the Badnawar–Timarwani stretch is currently an intermediate lane of 5.5 metre with poor geometry limiting speeds to 20–50 kilometres per hour. Upgrading the section will enable speeds of 80–100 kilometres per hour and complete the four?lane link to the DME.
The Timarwani–Thandla–Petlawad–Badnawar–Ujjain corridor is the shortest route for traffic from Gujarat and Maharashtra to Ujjain and the upgrade will strengthen inter?state connectivity. The works are expected to improve movement of goods and passengers and to accommodate a surge in traffic during the Simhastha Kumbh Mela in April 2028. The alignment traverses tribal areas of Dhar and Jhabua districts, with parts of Dhar covered under the Aspirational Blocks Programme of NITI Aayog.
The project design includes flexible pavement and four?lane configuration, with six major bridges and 34 minor bridges, one road under bridge and nine VUPs, 29 LVUPs and four SVUPs. The construction period is 24 months and the concession period is 17 years comprising two years of construction and 15 years of operation and maintenance. The scheme is intended to reduce logistics costs, enhance safety and support economic development and industrial access in Indore, Pithampur, Ujjain and Dewas.