CM Vijayan To Inaugurate Kozhikode-Wayanad Tunnel Road Project To Boost Connectivity, Development

Kozhikode: Touted to be the longest tunnel road in Kerala, Chief Minister Pinrayi Vijayan will inaugurate the construction of the 8.73-km tunnel connecting Kozhikode with Wayanad on Sunday. The project passes through the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats, making it a significant infrastructure development in the region. The four-lane tunnel will be equipped with state-of-the-art safety and communication systems, including ventilation, fire extinguishers, tunnel radio, telephone and sound systems, emergency call facilities and CCTV surveillance. The project is planned to be completed within four years. The tunnel spans 5.58 kilometres in Wayanad and 3.15 kilometres in Kozhikode, including the approach road from Marippuzha in Kozhikode to Meenakshipalam in Wayanad. Of the total length, 8.11 kilometres will consist of twin tunnels. The project will also include two major bridges across the Iruvazhinji River and three smaller bridges, and the stretch will have six curves with cross passages connecting the twin tunnels at every 300 metres. A total of 33 hectares of land will be acquired for the project. Travelling to Wayanad The tunnel road will pass through 5,771 meters of forest land and 2,964 meters of private land. Once complete, the project is expected to ease traffic between Kozhikode and Wayanad significantly, Thiruvambady MLA Linto Joseph said. "The travel time would be reduced, providing a major boost to the tourism and trade sectors. As the road passes through the ecologically significant Western Ghats, permission for the project has been granted under strict conditions to ensure environmental protection," he added. The primary goal of the tunnel road is to provide an alternative to the Thamarassery Churam (Thamarassery Pass), which remains congested most of the time, thus reducing the travel distance between Kozhikode and Wayanad. Furthermore, it is expected to aid the economic development of the Malabar region by easing travel via the Kozhikode-Kunnamangalam-NIT-Mukkam-Thiruvambady-Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi-Kalpetta route. The travel distance from Anakkampoyil to Meppadi will be reduced to 22 kilometres.