Indore to get rid of deadly ‘Bherughat’ road section:400m viaduct under construction to reduce accidents; vehicles to pass through 3 tunnels

The dangerous Bherughat section on the Indore-Khandwa road is being completely transformed. A new 400-metre viaduct and three tunnels are being built to reduce accidents and improve road safety. Construction is nearly 80% complete and traffic is expected to start by May-June 2026. Viaduct designed to prevent accidents Chandan Patel, DPM of Megha Engineering, the company handling the project, said the 35-metre high, 400-metre long viaduct is designed to remove the steep curves of Bherughat. Its slope has been reduced to prevent vehicles from losing control. The viaduct has 30-metre spans. Each girder weighs 80–100 tonnes and was installed with the help of two cranes. The placement of 160 girders started in March and finished in late October. 3 tunnels to make the route safer Three tunnels are being built along Bherughat. In total, vehicles will pass through 1,350 metres of tunnels, more than 1.25 kilometres.. Reduced gradient to avoid accidents The viaduct and tunnels use a 3.5 gradient, lower than the 5.5 gradient of Ganpati Ghat. This reduces vehicle speed and the risk of brake failure. Officials said this design will prevent accidents like those previously seen at Ganpati Ghat. High accident rate at Bherughat Bherughat is the only ghat where vehicles must move in opposite lanes when ascending and descending. Steep slopes and sharp curves have caused frequent accidents. Indore DSP Umakant Chaudhary said around 3–4 accidents occur each month. This year alone, over five accidents caused more than 20 deaths and 60 injuries. Construction progress Work on the Bherughat section is almost complete. Only 15–20% of finishing work remains. Traffic is expected to start by May-June 2026. Officials confirmed that the viaduct has been completed with all 160 girders in place. The tunnels are also under construction and nearing completion. Bharat Mala Project Phase-1 This project is part of Bharat Mala Project Phase-1, an ambitious central government initiative to build 35,000 km of national highways. Madhya Pradesh has the largest share, with 3,176 km of road under construction, including the Indore-Edlabad National Highway. Efforts on this route have been ongoing for nine years