The Tharamarassery ghat road, which links Kozhikode to Wayanad on National Highway 766, has been renovated, Public Works Department ( PWD) officials have said.
A portion of the road at Chippilithode was destroyed in multiple landslips during the southwest monsoon in July. A sum of ₹1.98 crore has been incurred for repairing the road and construction of protection walls.
G. Sudhakaran, Minister for Public Works, said that the work had been completed in a time-bound manner. Now concrete slabs had been laid and the surface tarred to strengthen the damaged road.
The work was taken up after preparing a Detailed Project Report for the purpose. The project was entrusted to the Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society, the Minister said.
Traffic curbs to continue
PWD superintending engineer T.S. Sindhu said that the restrictions imposed on the ghat road would continue for the time-being. Recently, the day time restriction on trucks was lifted. The restriction was imposed in the wake of the traffic snarls and breakdown of heavy vehicles at hairpin bends on the road. Trucks with up to 12 wheels have been allowed to transport goods from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Ms. Sindhu said that the proposal to construct an alternative road linking Kozhikode to Wayanad was still in its infancy. The proposal was to construct a road from Chippilithodu via Maruthilavu to Thalipuzha so as to decongest the existing Wayanad Ghat Road section.
The plan was to construct a 14.43-km road from Chippilithodu on the 29th mile of the National Highway 212 to reach Thalipuzha in Wayanad district via Vythiri village.
The road has to be constructed on 8.74 km in Kozhikode and 5.7 km in Wayanad. The State government has sought the permission of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to carry out a survey and begin the project. At the same time, the State Department of Forests and Wildlife did not favour the project.
