The district administration has directed officials to expedite land acquisition to widen the Sitra–Kurumbapalayam road into a four-lane carriageway. The project is estimated at Rs 512.2 million (Rs 512.2 mn) and is intended to ease congestion on the city eastern outskirts. The scheme proposes a four-lane road with a 20-metre right of way, seven point five-metre-wide carriageways on either side, a median and pedestrian footpaths. The alignment covers an eight point six-kilometre stretch from Sitra Junction on Avinashi Road to Kurumbapalayam via Kalapatti.\n\nAs portions of the existing road measure only around 10 metres and several stretches are affected by roadside encroachments, the government has earmarked Rs 270 mn for land acquisition. Collector Pawankumar G Giriyappanavar recently inspected the proposed alignment and reviewed progress with officials from the highways and revenue departments. Highway officials outlined the need to acquire additional land parcels to execute the widening work and the collector instructed revenue officials to speed up the process.\n\nA senior official from the state highways department said the revenue department has completed around 30-35 per cent of the land acquisition process and indicated that the remaining parcels are expected to be completed by the end of this year. The highways department is preparing a detailed project report for the widening work while coordinating with the revenue wing on valuations and compensations. Officials stated that acquisition milestones will determine the timing of further approvals.\n\nThe official added that once 80 per cent of the land acquisition is completed the proposal will be submitted to the state government seeking administrative sanction and the road widening work is expected to commence in January or February 2027. The Sitra–Kurumbapalayam road has been identified as a crucial corridor owing to increasing vehicle volumes, particularly tourists travelling to Ooty and the Nilgiris, and the existing two-lane highway frequently witnesses traffic bottlenecks. Completion of the work is projected to provide a smoother alternative route to Mettupalayam via Kovilpalayam and to relieve pressure on adjoining routes.
