As portions of the existing road are around 10 metres wide and several stretches are affected by roadside encroachments, the government has earmarked Rs 270 mn for land acquisition. Collector Pawankumar G Giriyappanavar inspected the proposed alignment and reviewed the progress of the project with officials from the highways and revenue departments, after highway officials explained the need for acquiring additional land parcels to execute the widening work.
A senior official from the state highways department said that the revenue department has completed around 30–35 per cent of the land acquisition process and that the remaining parcels are expected to be completed by the end of this year; the highways department is preparing a detailed project report. The 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 that 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 the increasing volume of vehicles, particularly tourists travelling to Ooty and the Nilgiris, and the existing two?lane road frequently witnesses traffic bottlenecks, prompting repeated demands for expansion. Once the work is complete, the corridor is expected to provide a smoother alternative route to Mettupalayam via Kovilpalayam and to improve connectivity for commuters and commercial traffic.