Trichy infrastructure setback: IBT link road likely to be ready only by early 2028.

The Tiruchirappalli Corporation’s ambitious IBT link road project, designed to connect the Panjapur Integrated Bus Terminus with major state and national highways passing through Tiruchirappalli, is expected to take at least 18 more months to complete, with the revised timeline now stretching close to early 2028.

The project, which has been planned in three phases, has been slowed by multiple hurdles, particularly delays in land acquisition and pending statutory approvals. Corporation sources indicated that while earlier projections had suggested partial completion between October and December 2026, this timeline is no longer feasible due to ongoing bottlenecks.

In Phase I, which covers the stretch between Panjapur and Karumandapam nodes and was sanctioned at ₹81.7 crore, around 35% of the work has been completed. However, progress has been held up due to delays in obtaining approval from the Southern Railway for a railway Road over Bridge (RoB) at E Pudur MGR Nagar.

Phase II, covering the Woraiyur–Kudamurutti checkpost section, has seen only about 15% completion so far, largely due to incomplete land acquisition. Meanwhile, Phase III—the longest and most complex segment connecting densely populated Karumandapam and Woraiyur areas—has not yet received administrative sanction. This phase includes five elevated stretches, one of them near the Woraiyur Kasivilangi fish market.

District Collector Pratik Tayal reviewed the project’s progress on Saturday and inspected ongoing works along the banks of the Koraiyar and Kudamurutti rivers, which will link the Trichy–Madurai NH with the Trichy–Karur NH.

Officials noted that the land requirement for the project has been reduced significantly from eight acres to about one acre, but “enter upon permission” and site access issues continue to delay execution. They also said only about half of the affected landowners have agreed to the compensation package offered for acquisition.

Authorities have stated that efforts are being made to expedite land acquisition and clear pending approvals. Excluding Phase III, officials estimate that the remaining work could be completed within a year once clearances are in place. However, they stressed that Phase III remains critical, as the project will not fully serve its intended purpose without it.

Road Users Welfare Trust managing trustee P. Ayyarappan urged the state government to fast-track the project, stating that adequate funding and administrative push are essential to ease traffic congestion in the city.