Kerala to urge Centre to fast-track approval for Thiruvananthapuram Outer Ring Road project to aid Vizhinjam operations

The Kerala government is set to write to the Centre requesting to speed up the process of granting approval for the outer ring road (ORR) in the capital city in the wake of the full-fledged commercial operation of the Vizhinjam international seaport.

Replying to a submission of V. Joy, MLA, in the Kerala Assembly on Thursday, Public Works Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas said he would “once again” request the Centre to expedite the process and urgently grant permission for the Vizhinjam-Navaikulam outer ring road.

After repeated consultations with the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, the State had earlier agreed to share 50% cost of land acquisition for the ORR project, including the 100% land acquisition and construction cost of the service road as part of the development of the 45-meter-wide project from Navaikulam to Vizhinjam. The State had also informed the Union Ministry that it was ready to waive its GST share and royalty on the construction material for the ORR project, shouldering a total liability of ₹1,629.24 crore for the construction of the project in Thiruvananthapuram.

Further, the State had also agreed to sign a financial partnership agreement containing these provisions. Although the necessary steps have been taken by the State government, the final approval of the Centre has not yet been received, the Minister said. 

In December 2024, June 2025, and October 2025, the Chief Minister had personally visited the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and conveyed the importance of granting approval for the project. The Union Minister had also assured that approval would be granted soon.

Detailed study

As per the instructions of the Chief Minister, the Chief Secretary has sent a letter to the Union Ministry seeking early approval. However, the Union Ministry replied that considering the defects reported in some parts of national highway 66 in the State of late, it has been decided to conduct a detailed study through an expert agency regarding the alignment of the ORR. A private firm has been tasked with examining whether suitable solutions, including tunnels, are possible in the “high-cutting areas”. Hence, the final detailed project report (DPR) will be submitted in February (2026) after considering their report, the Minister said.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has informed that the steps are in progress to obtain environmental clearance for the project from the Ministry of Environment and Forests. According to the NHAI, the final clearance for the project is under the consideration of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), and that the clearance will be given considering the order of the priority projects and availability of funds. Hence, the Centre will be requested again to expedite the process and give urgent clearance for the ORR, the Minister added.