The district administration has set the ball rolling for the construction of an alternative road linking Kozhikode to Wayanad district. The project has been lying idle for almost two decades.
A team comprising George M. Thomas and C.K. Saseendran, Thamarassery and Kalpetta MLAs respectively, Kozhikode district panchayat president Babu Parassery, and District Collector U.V. Jose on Thursday inspected the stretches for the proposed bypass to the Thamarassery Ghat Road.
The proposal is to construct a road from Chippilithodu via Maruthilavu to Thalipuzha to decongest the Wayanad Ghat Road section. The government will explore the possibility of constructing two tunnels — Maruthilavu-Vythiri-Kalpetta and Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi — officials said.
At least 12 hectares of forest land will have to be acquired. For this, clearance has to be secured from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. However, the acquisition of forest land can be minimised by building tunnel roads.
Mr. Thomas said the Chief Minister would apprise the Centre of the need for an alternative road to decongest the Wayanad Ghat section. According to Mr. Parassery, the Kozhikode district panchayat will acquire the 4-km stretch of forest land under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) which aims to provide connectivity to unconnected habitations.
Alternative road conceived in 1990
Following traffic hold-ups and accidents, the government had mooted the construction of an alternative road in 1990. Subsequently, a preliminary survey was conducted. However, the project remained in cold storage. More than a year ago, another bid was made to hold a survey, but the Department of Forests disallowed it in the area covering reserve forests and ecologically fragile land in the two districts.
The plan is to construct a 14.43-km road from Chippilithodu of the 29th mile of national highway 212 to reach Thalipuzha in Wayanad via Vythiri village. Thus, the distance from Kozhikode to Wayanad will be reduced to 54 km. The proposed road will cover 8.74 km in Kozhikode and 5.7 km in Wayanad district.
