The Outer Ring Road (ORR) project in Thiruvananthapuram has received environmental clearance, with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) granting approval under the provisions of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) notification.

Although the expert appraisal committee (EAC) under the MoEF&CC has reportedly recommended environmental clearance for the long-pending Vizhinjam–Navaikulam Outer Ring Road, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials are yet to officially confirm the green nod, citing a procedural delay in receiving the minutes of the meeting.

Earlier, the committee had deferred the issuance of environmental clearance for the project against the backdrop of the debris slide near the twin-tunnel project site in Wayanad. However, at its latest sitting, the committee granted the environmental clearance after considering a report submitted by the NHAI that addressed concerns regarding the geological and safety aspects of the revised alignment proposed for the ORR.

Back on track

According to action council convener S. Chandramohan Nair, the granting of the environmental clearance will enable the project, which has been stalled for more than four years, to get back on track soon. The project, planned under a hybrid public-private partnership (PPP) model and approved by the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC), a key Central body that evaluates major infrastructure proposals, is expected to begin once the State Cabinet grants its approval.

The project, with a revised alignment featuring 17 tunnels and 50 viaducts along the 62.7-km access-controlled highway corridor, will be completed at a revised estimated cost of around ₹12,595 crore. The State government will bear 50% of the land acquisition cost, which was initially estimated at around ₹1,690 crore.

Avenues for development

The highway will have a standard width of 45 metres, widening to 60 metres at around seven junctions. It will also feature two cloverleaf interchanges at Vizhinjam and Navaikulam. Upon completion, the project is expected to open up new avenues for port-related development in the capital region. The revised alignment became necessary after concerns were raised that conventional hill cutting along several stretches of the proposed road could cause significant ecological disturbance.

The new alignment incorporates tunnels through ecologically sensitive hilly stretches, thereby reducing environmental damage and addressing concerns over large-scale hill cutting. The project has been under consideration for several years as part of the Capital Region Development Programme and the Centre’s Bharatmala highway programme.

Published - August 13, 2026 09:55 pm IST