Between 1911 and 1920, a British engineer, binoculars in hand, stood on a railway bridge and looked across a road that ran through Chittoor village, then the district headquarters. Pointing at the road, he reportedly remarked, “This is the High Road.”

Perhaps intending to refer to it as the ‘main road’, he unintentionally ended up christening it.

“Our High Road in Chittoor, with over a century of colonial history, holds a significance comparable to Mount Road in Chennai or Marine Drive in Mumbai. Originally planned to be 100 feet wide, the road now ranges from 30 to 50 feet over its 6-kilometer stretch. This inadequate width has caused severe traffic congestion, affecting daily commuters and the town’s connectivity and overall image,” says Parvathareddi Parthasarathy Naidu, an 83-year-old former municipal councillor and social worker. A resident of Chittoor for six decades, he says completion of the planned road widening is long-overdue.

For the younger generation, the High Road is merely a congested yet relatively wider street in the decade-old Chittoor Municipal Corporation limits. Many youth feel that, with the city’s modest population of 1.2 lakh, there is little urgency to widen the road.

“What we urgently need are jobs, jobs, and more jobs. Once someone completes their Intermediate or Degree, they won’t stay in Chittoor even a day longer. They head to Bengaluru or Chennai to earn a living. What’s the use of a wide road without jobs?” asks Prem Kumar, a final-year B.Tech student in Chittoor, who plans to move to Bengaluru soon.

For Chittoor’s denizens aged 40 to 80, the High Road remains a landmark of the city, as it continues to serve as the vital link to Vellore, Chennai, and Tirupati. While the Tirupati-Bengaluru NH bypass has alleviated traffic congestion by over 70% within city limits, the Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway is also progressing rapidly. “Once this is completed, Chittoor may remain a corporation on paper, but it will essentially become a village,” says Magesh Kumar, 27, a software engineer from Chittoor now working in Bengaluru.

Against the backdrop of these contrasting public views, the history of the High Road offers an intriguing perspective to an outsider, who may rarely pass through the city’s streets. A cross-section of residents expresses frustration, with some admitting that “Chittoor must be the most backward district headquarters in India, with the worst road infrastructure.”

Chittoor district, which was officially established in 1911 during the British Raj, held its dominance until the 1980s. However, it eventually ceded influence to Tirupati, especially after the election of the late N.T. Rama Rao as its MLA in 1982. Although NTR later chose Hindupur Assembly constituency, he left a lasting mark of development on the pilgrim city, under the auspices of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD).

After the trifurcation of Chittoor district under the Jagan Mohan Reddy government, leading to the creation of Chittoor, Tirupati, and Annamayya districts, residents of Chittoor city and the surrounding areas continue to rely on Tirupati for medical and educational services. It is no exaggeration to say that 60% of critical road accident cases in and around Chittoor are referred to the SVRR and SVIMS Hospitals in Tirupati, while the rest are sent to the Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore or corporate hospitals in Bengaluru or Chennai.

“With no university or government engineering or medical college, students inevitably seek education in distant cities. Given this dire situation, the people of Chittoor have neither the time nor the inclination to focus on the ‘High Road widening’, as their priorities remain firmly centred on medical and educational needs.” 

The road stretches from Venkusa Kalyana Mandapam in the east to the Collectorate building in the west, covering a distance of about 6 km. Its width varies from 60 feet to 30 feet across different sections, with particularly narrow points at Kattamanchi, MSR Junction, Greamspet, and Durgamma Temple. On a busy Monday, it can take 25–30 minutes to cover this relatively short distance, and the situation worsens during festivals. Hundreds of residents from nearby villages rely on the commercial activity in Chittoor, though most engage in small-scale trades like garments and provisions. The more affluent sections of the city, however, tend to prefer shopping in Bengaluru, Chennai, or Vellore for both personal and professional needs, due to the city’s narrow and congested roads. 

Since the new bus station was built behind the Kattamanchi tank in recent years, buses travelling from the Tirupati side now take a diversion at the Railway Bridge junction to enter the premises. However, all buses — both private and APSRTC — heading towards Kuppam, Kolar, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Vellore must pass via the busy Gandhi Statue junction on the High Road. 

“In 2024-25, three fatal and five non-fatal accidents were recorded on the High Road. Unrecorded cases, settled privately, could exceed 50. The narrowest and most congested stretch, from Janata Bazar to MSR Junction, is less than 30 feet wide. Only one vehicle can pass through this section at a time. Traffic violations are most common at MSR Junction, where diversions and U-turns are cumbersome,” says G. Nitya Babu, Circle-Inspector (Traffic In-charge) of Chittoor city. He believes that the only solution to alleviate congestion is to widen the High Road and introduce medians and pavements. 

After decades of neglect, the proposal to widen the High Road resurfaced under the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government, when N. Chandrababu Naidu returned to power to lead the residual State of Andhra Pradesh following bifurcation. 

“During the first term (2014-19) of the TDP government, a Collector carrying the proposal for the High Road widening rushed to Naravaripalle (now in Tirupati district), where Mr. Naidu was camping for the Sankranthi celebrations. While reviewing the file, the Chief Minister asked the Collector for a rough estimate of compensation to be paid to landowners. The Collector replied, ‘Sir, it would be roughly ₹290 crore, excluding the cost of infrastructure.’ The Chief Minister closed the file and exclaimed, ‘Where do we have such a large sum of money for this project?’” recalled a senior official of Chittoor Municipal Corporation, who was present during the discussion. 

Regarding the latest developments, the current TDP MLA, Gurajala Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is now leading the High Road widening proposal, recently organised a meeting with political and public groups in Chittoor to draw attention to the urgency of the project. He highlighted the future needs of the city, asserting that the completion of this project is essential for Chittoor’s growth and development. He argued that the widening would lay the foundation for a vibrant industrial atmosphere in Chittoor, fostering a healthy job market. 

The stakeholders involved in the widening project are estimated to number around 500 along the 6-km stretch. Starting from Railway Bridge, the left side of the road is dominated by State government and Indian Railways properties up to PCR Junction, with a large expanse of State government land from MSR Junction to the Collectorate Circle. However, the right side is largely made up of private property. 

A key highlight of the issue is that the vast majority of stakeholders agrees that the High Road’s widening is crucial for Chittoor’s future and progress. Hussain Ali Sha, corporator of the 36th Division, pointed out that “private property owners, some of whom even have the High Court’s stay order in their favour,” are all supportive of the widening project. “For over a century, the property has been with these families. The government cannot suddenly take away property at its own cost. For example, a piece of land beside the High Road may be registered at ₹5 lakh, but in the open market, its value could reach nearly ₹1 crore. Before moving forward with the widening, the government must settle the dues to avoid any grievances from the affected parties,” he remarked. 

In the meantime, over the past few months, town planning officials from the corporation have begun preliminary surveys for the project and have started removing encroachments along both sides of the High Road. However, aside from the removal of a few unauthorised petty shops and a public toilet facility on government land, the officials have made little progress in addressing unauthorised constructions on the private property side. 

Senior YSRCP leader in Chittoor and former Chairman of the AP State Mudaliyar Development Corporation, T.G. Suresh, opposed the corporation’s proposal to offer TDR (Transferable Development Rights) bonds to stakeholders as compensation for the acquisition of their property. 

“Instead of TDR bonds, the government should adhere to the Supreme Court guidelines for compensation based on prevailing market rates. I can confidently say that no one is against Chittoor’s development, but the approach should be more public-friendly,” he stated. 

Referring to the widening of the Chittoor-Kanipakam road at the Santhapeta junction within the corporation limits during the 2014-19 TDP regime, Mr. Suresh alleged that the residents who lost their property along the stretch have yet to receive any compensation to this day. 

“Property owners along the High Road are now in a state of trauma. With the widening proposal looming over them, there are no takers for their property,” he said. “Several families are in distress, exacerbated by Chittoor’s chronic backwardness,” he continued. 

G. Dhananjaya Naidu, a senior Congress leader from Chittoor, said: “The factors contributing to the stagnation of the High Road’s development and the alarming underdevelopment of Chittoor are well-known. Over the past three decades, key industrial entities such as Vijaya Dairy, which once supplied milk to military personnel, the cooperative sugar factory, once the leading crushing unit in Rayalaseema, and the Nutrine factory, a source of local pride, have all ceased operations. The absence of industrial growth in the region is directly tied to the lack of further development. Given the severe unemployment issues facing the area, the expansion of the High Road has become a low priority for the community. People are focused on securing their families’ welfare first. 

While the road widening may symbolise progress, it must be preceded by addressing the immediate socio-economic challenges, feel locals. 

Syed Ali Shah Qadri, the chief imam of the Qudrati Chaman Masjid in Chittoor, shares his perspective. “The sentiments regarding the development challenges in Chittoor are shared by all. Growing up here, I have witnessed how little the district headquarters has changed since my childhood. I had hoped that Chittoor would progress in a similar manner to Tirupati and Madanapalle, but unfortunately, such progress has not materialised. Despite its strategic location near Vellore, Chennai, and Bengaluru, and its role as a gateway to the southern States, Chittoor has missed out on many significant developmental opportunities. It is difficult to place blame on any one entity, as responsibility lies with everyone. There seems to be a lack of initiative from the government regarding the proposal to widen the High Road. While the idea is promising, the real question is: who will take the first step? The situation is further complicated by the challenges of politics, law, and funding.” 

Irrespective of political affiliation, a common observation is that the widening of the Santhapeta road stretch during the previous TDP government remains a source of disgruntlement for residents. This so-called development work failed to secure victory for the TDP in 2019. The then Chittoor MLA, the late D.K. Satyaprabha, who had initiated the widening project, was asked to contest from the Rajampeta Lok Sabha seat, where she was defeated. 

Another major concern across both the ruling and opposition parties is that the High Road widening is still in the “proposal stage”. Given the paucity of funds with the coalition government, many feel that the project, initially estimated at over ₹290 crore for compensation during the 2014–19 regime, could now cost twice as much. Moreover, the government would need to allocate substantial funds for additional infrastructure costs. 

“This High Road drama will likely fizzle out in the coming months. After all, local body elections are approaching. Can any sensible government, already in a financial bind, spend hundreds of crores on a six-kilometer road widening?” asked a retired revenue official in Chittoor, known for his ties with the ruling party high command. 

Whether a road widening project materialises or fades into another unrealised ambition, one thing is clear: Chittoor’s future rests on addressing its larger developmental challenges, not just its roads.