The ambitious six-lane greenfield highway project connecting Karur and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu is likely to face a significant delay of up to two years, according to recent reports. Envisioned as a key infrastructure initiative under the Bharatmala Pariyojana scheme, the project was initially expected to be completed within a tight schedule. However, mounting challenges related to land acquisition, environmental clearances, and procedural bottlenecks are threatening to push the timeline well beyond its original target.
Spanning over 140 kilometers, the Karur-Coimbatore greenfield corridor is designed to drastically reduce travel time between the central and western regions of Tamil Nadu, enhance logistics efficiency, and stimulate economic growth along the route. The project is also expected to relieve congestion on existing national highways and support the state’s growing industrial and textile sectors by offering faster connectivity between key commercial hubs.
Despite the strategic importance of the project, the pace of development has been slower than anticipated. According to sources close to the matter, delays in acquiring land parcels, coupled with ongoing negotiations with local stakeholders, have significantly impacted the progress. In addition, obtaining necessary environmental and forest clearances has proven to be a time-consuming process, further complicating project execution. Local opposition, concerns over displacement, and procedural lapses have also contributed to the slowdown. While authorities are working to resolve these challenges through stakeholder engagement and policy support, officials now estimate that the project may not be completed before 2027 — a delay of nearly two years from the originally projected completion date.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which is overseeing the project, has reportedly begun revisiting the timeline and is exploring alternative strategies to expedite the process, including phased implementation and prioritization of critical segments.
Once completed, the highway is expected to play a transformative role in regional connectivity and economic integration. However, the current delay highlights the persistent challenges in executing large-scale infrastructure projects in India, especially those involving greenfield alignments through densely populated and agriculturally rich regions. As the project’s future hinges on swift resolution of current hurdles, industry observers are calling for a more streamlined approach to land acquisition, better coordination between state and central agencies, and improved stakeholder communication to avoid further slippage in timelines.