The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has accorded sanction to widen five hairpin bends on the Ghat road connecting Kozhikode and Wayanad districts.
Nearly 2.30 acres (0.97 hectares) of forest land would be handed over by the MoEF to the State government to widen and interlock with tiles the hairpin bends on the National Highway No. 212, E.K. Hydru, executive engineer, Public Works Department (National Highway Division), said here on Wednesday.
This approval comes close on the heels of the government planning to carry out a survey for an alternative road via Chippilithodu- Maruthilavu- Thalipuzha to decongest the Wayanad Ghat road.
Commuters in both Kozhikode and Wayanad districts often have a harrowing experience traversing the Ghat road following heavy traffic at this section.
The 11.4 km Ghat road has nine hairpin bends. At present, two of these have been widened and interlocked with tiles, enabling vehicles to smoothly pass through.
Vehicles especially heavy ones including goods-laden lorries and truckers consume time to negotiate the hairpin bends particularly that have not been widened. More than 10,000 vehicles pass through the road daily.
Mr. Hydru said that tenders would be floated within a month to widen and interlock the identified stretches. But this would be done only after the Department of Forests and Wildlife officially handed over the required land to the PWD.
Approximately a sum of Rs 50 crore would be needed for the work. During the construction activity the traffic would be regulated. The non- availability of land was one of the reasons that led to the deferment of interlocking of the other hairpin bends on the Ghat road.
Retaining walls would also have to be constructed before the interlocking work.
The widening of the stretches and interlocking work would be done separately without causing much disturbance to the public, Mr. Hydru said.
