Centre Set to Clear ₹4,767-Crore Outer Ring Road Project by July

The Centre is expected to grant final approval for the ₹4,767-crore Outer Ring Road (ORR) in Thiruvananthapuram project by the end of July, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari assured recently. The green light will come in the form of an official order, accelerating a long-pending infrastructure initiative aimed at easing traffic congestion and improving connectivity to the Vizhinjam International Seaport.

State PWD Minister PA Mohamed Riyas confirmed that the Centre has already cleared the revised Detailed Project Report (DPR), which was submitted in January 2025 following directions in December 2024. The revised DPR included critical exemptions from State GST and amendments to mining laws to ensure material availability.

Once the final nod is issued, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will begin disbursing compensation to landowners and float tenders for construction. Sources indicate the compensation process could begin by August.

“The wait is finally over. While the project had in-principle approval, procedural steps remain, and it may take at least a month,” said a PWD official.

The 80-km, six-lane ring road part of the Capital Region Development Programme-II and covered under the Centre’s Bharatmala Pariyojana will be designated as NH 866. It aims to enhance traffic movement around Thiruvananthapuram and spur regional development.

However, the project faces hurdles. On May 7, affected landowners staged a protest at the NHAI regional office in Chackai, demanding timely compensation. “We support infrastructure growth, but not at the cost of our rightful dues,” said S Chandramohan Nair, convenor of the Outer Ring Road Vizhinjam-Navaikulam Janakeeya Samiti.

Further complicating matters, a Supreme Court ruling on May 16, 2025, struck down a 2017 notification related to Category C environmental clearances. This has stalled compensation and groundwork on the northern stretch from Thekkada to Navaikulam. The state is now working to reconstitute its Environmental Impact Assessment Authority to move the project forward.

Despite the setbacks, the project is now closer than ever to breaking ground.