The proposed six-lane greenfield highway between Karur and Coimbatore, aimed at decongesting the existing route, is now staring at an indefinite delay. Despite the near completion of the Detailed Project Report and land requirement identified at 900 hectares, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has not yet granted final approval. The ₹3,500 crore project, once expected to move forward by late 2024, remains stalled, raising concerns over regional mobility, funding delays, and whether interim road-widening works can meet future transport demands.
Originally envisioned as a long-term solution to address growing vehicular pressure on the current route, the proposed corridor was designed to run approximately five kilometres parallel to the existing National Highway. It aimed to serve as a high-speed link supporting seamless inter-district and freight movement between Karur, a thriving textile and industrial hub, and Coimbatore, a major commercial and manufacturing city in Tamil Nadu. Transport officials confirmed that multiple traffic volume assessments and route alignment studies had been completed over the past few years. A consultant appointed by NHAI has reportedly finalised almost all elements of the Detailed Project Report, including engineering surveys, land requirement data, environmental assessments, and traffic forecasts. Yet, the absence of a final administrative nod from the Centre has resulted in a deadlock that has also hindered the start of land acquisition proceedings.
The highway is proposed as an access-controlled expressway with six lanes, along with service roads where required. By improving capacity and reducing travel time significantly, the road would not only ease daily commuter movement but also provide critical connectivity for industrial logistics, particularly between the clusters of Karur, Erode, and Coimbatore. Urban planners have stressed the urgency of pushing this project forward, arguing that the current highway has reached saturation. With vehicular density increasing each year, the existing infrastructure is buckling under freight and passenger pressure. Moreover, idling vehicles on congested highways contribute significantly to air pollution and fuel wastage, further undermining Tamil Nadu’s efforts to reduce transport-sector emissions.
Officials also warn that postponing major infrastructure investments like this undermines broader regional development goals, especially in Tier-II and Tier-III cities that are witnessing steady economic expansion. Coimbatore and Karur are key anchors in Tamil Nadu’s decentralised industrial growth model, and improved connectivity between them is essential to sustain export competitiveness and attract new investments. Environmental experts have flagged that greenfield projects such as this can be designed in climate-conscious ways, provided they incorporate adequate compensatory afforestation, wildlife mitigation measures, and rainwater harvesting infrastructure. However, any delay in execution increases the cost of compliance with future regulatory frameworks and risks making the project less financially viable for developers and contractors.
A senior official involved in the project planning admitted that while NHAI had intended to secure final approval in the second half of 2024, procedural hurdles have pushed back timelines. No clear indication has been given regarding when approvals might come through. The delay is also holding up ancillary infrastructure proposals, including electric vehicle charging stations, logistics parks, and last-mile road improvements along the corridor. In the absence of clarity, state authorities have expressed concern that land acquisition processes, once started, could be delayed indefinitely. Tamil Nadu has had mixed success with land pooling and acquisition for linear projects in the past, and any lack of progress at the central level could disrupt local consensus and increase the cost of acquisition later.
Moreover, the project’s stall casts doubt on the feasibility of India’s broader expressway expansion targets under the Bharatmala Phase II programme. If greenfield corridors like Karur–Coimbatore, which have a compelling economic and logistic rationale, fail to move forward on time, it may erode investor and public confidence in the delivery of large-scale infrastructure. Transport economists note that well-planned expressways not only improve travel speeds but also spur economic activity along their alignment—creating jobs, boosting small businesses, and enhancing access to services in rural and peri-urban zones. Every delay, therefore, is not just administrative; it translates into missed economic opportunities and social returns.
As Tamil Nadu positions itself as a manufacturing and logistics powerhouse, timely infrastructure implementation will be critical. The Karur–Coimbatore greenfield highway is no longer just a transport proposal—it represents a test case in how inter-agency coordination, political will, and sustainable design can come together to reshape regional mobility. For now, communities along the proposed corridor and key stakeholders await a decisive move from the Centre. Whether this corridor can be transformed from a shelved plan to a shovel-ready project remains uncertain—but what is clear is that the urgency for action is mounting.
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