Kurnool authorities have begun diverting buses and heavy vehicles through the proposed Outer Ring Road (ORR) to ease severe congestion across major junctions and improve daily travel conditions for commuters. With traffic volumes rising, officials have drawn up plans for the construction of the ORR, designed to meet the city’s future transport needs.

Work is underway to ensure that heavy vehicles no longer enter the city but instead use the bypass road connected to the proposed ring road. Officials have started the process of linking this bypass to the ORR so that through-traffic can avoid urban areas entirely. According to the master plan, the ORR will stretch around 17 kilometres with a width of 200 feet. Teams from the Municipal and Roads & Buildings (R&B) departments have already inspected the alignment.

A Detailed Project Report (DPR) will be prepared within three months, including an assessment of projected vehicle volumes. Construction will begin once funds are sanctioned.

As proposed, the ring road will run 7.2 kilometres from Lakshmipuram Bypass near Kallur to Kodumur Road near Peddapadu, and a further 9.9 kilometres to Munagalapadu Road near NH-44, the Hyderabad–Bengaluru Highway. Vehicles from the Surat Highway will also be diverted through Kodumur Road to reduce urban congestion.

To minimise the loss of private buildings and land, planners intend to route most of the ORR through government land where possible. Municipal Commissioner P. Viswanath said the completion of the ORR would significantly ease traffic pressures in Kurnool, adding that the project will move ahead once the DPR is finalised and government funding is released.