COIMBATORE: After years of planning and delays, the much-anticipated widening of the Sathyamangalam Road in Coimbatore is finally set to take off in the coming weeks.
In the first phase, the National Highways wing of the State Highways Department will widen a four-kilometre stretch from Kappi Kadai bus stop to Kurumbapalayam on Sathy Road at an estimated cost of Rs 40 crore.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior highway department official said that the contract for the work has already been awarded, and a work order will be issued to the contractor shortly.
"The construction work is expected to commence within a month," he said.
The larger plan involves widening the entire 96-km-long Sathy Road, from Kurumbapalayam to Kakanallah on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border. Initially spearheaded by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the project was later handed over to the National Highways wing of the State Highways Department's Coimbatore division in 2022. In May 2023, the Union Government sanctionedRs 639.18 cr for acquiring approximately 650 acres necessary for the expansion.
However, the land acquisition (LA) process hit a roadblock due to administrative delays, particularly the absence of a special team led by a dedicated District Revenue Officer (DRO) for the project work. The acquisition work picked up momentum with the formation of the team around six months ago.
Despite the progress, the project has drawn strong opposition from farmers and industrialists, particularly in the Annur region. The release of the land acquisition notification on February 26, 2025, triggered widespread anxiety among property owners, who fear the loss of fertile agricultural land, residential plots, and commercial establishments.
Environmental activists and local stakeholders have called for alternative solutions, including widening the existing NH 948 or constructing bypass roads through less populated areas. They have also demanded greater transparency from NH officials on compensation packages, environmental assessments, and rehabilitation plans.
While these concerns remain unresolved, the highway department has chosen to begin work on the Kappi Kadai-Kurumbapalayam stretch, where no land acquisition is required.