Survey work for Kozhikode-Wayanad Tunnel Road begins

The Kerala Government has initiated the survey works for the longest tunnel road in the state, connecting Kozhikode and Wayanad districts at an investment of ₹658 crore and the project is being financed through Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). The project includes the construction of the tunnel road with a length of around 7-km, which will provide an alternative to the Thamarassery Ghat road and will be a part of the Anakkampoyil- Kalladi-Meppadi road. A team from Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL), which has been appointed as the special purpose vehicle for the project, is carrying out survey and field investigations. The road project has received the administrative and technical sanctions from the state government. The tunnel, which starts at Swargamkunnu in Kodenchery Panchayat in Kozhikode would end at Kalladi near Meppadi in Wayanad and the subterranean tunnel road stretch passes mostly beneath the forest land. On completion, the road would reduce the road distance from Kochi to Bengaluru by 30 km. It will be the third-longest tunnel road in the country and would become a viable alternative to the Thamarassery Ghat road which is plagued by frequent traffic snarls.