Collector VR Subbulaxmi laid the foundation stone of the work in the presence of Vellore MP DM Kathir Anand. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The State Roads Department on Thursday started work on laying the ₹102.83 crore Outer Ring Road (ORR), the first in the district, at Periyathur village near Katpadi in Vellore. Collector VR Subbulaxmi laid the foundation stone of the work in the presence of Vellore MP DM Kathir Anand.
The project seeks to decongest the areas around the Katpadi railway station by diverting heavy vehicles such as trucks, cargo trucks and container trucks to the new stretch to reach the Chennai-Bengaluru highway (NH-48). Currently, vehicles, including trucks and trailers, are passing through the congested Katpadi town and heading to Chittoor, Krishnagiri, Tirupatur, Salem, Ranipet, Kancheepuram and Tiruvannamalai. According to records, more than 17,000 vehicles use the Katpadi main road every day.
State highway officials said the 7.4 km stretch will act as an alternative route for vehicles to reach key towns like Ranipet, Arcot, Sholinghur, Kancheepuram and Tiruvannamalai without using the narrow stretches at Katpadi. The new stretch will also provide road connectivity to at least 20 nearby agricultural villages, including Kal Pudur, Dharapadavedu, Karikiri, Kandimedu, Arumparuthi, Karnampattu, Arambakkam and Perumugai.
“The new ORR will make the stretches in Katpadi and surrounding areas safer for motorists. The entire work on the ORR will be completed by 2027,” S. Poovarasan, Assistant Engineer, State Highways (Vellore), told The Hindu.
Residents said the constant vehicular movement on the narrow Katpadi main road, which connects the busy railway station and NH-48, also results in pedestrian accidents. “School buses and ambulances were stuck in the traffic jam due to the movement of heavy vehicles on the stretch,” said motorist K. Nagaraj.
The outer ring road, financed under the Comprehensive Road Infrastructure Development Program for the period 2025-2026, will be a two-lane section with a width of at least 10 meters. Unlike urban areas, the section will only have earthen storm water drains so as not to take up more road space.
Published – March 6, 2026 0:43 AM IST
