Kozhikode–Wayanad Tunnel Road is a proposed twin-tube tunnel road project in the

South Indian South India, also known as Southern India or Peninsular India, is the southern part of the Deccan Peninsula in India encompassing the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana as well as the union territories of ...

state of

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

. The proposed tunnel, which is being described as the third longest underpass in India would run through the sensitive hills and forests of the Western Ghats. It would provide an alternate route between

Kozhikode Kozhikode (), also known as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. Known as the City of Spices, Kozhikode is listed among the City of Literature, UNESCO's Cities of Literature. It is the nineteenth large ...

and

Wayanad Wayanad () is a district in the north-east of the Indian state of Kerala, with its administrative headquarters at the municipality of Kalpetta. It is the only plateau in Kerala. The Wayanad Plateau forms a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, ...

and will reduce the distance between Anakkampoil and Meppady from 42 kilometres to less than 20 kilometres. The tunnel road is also expected to lead to a better economic growth and development in the region. Once the construction is completed, the distance between

Calicut Kozhikode (), also known as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. Known as the City of Spices, Kozhikode is listed among the City of Literature, UNESCO's Cities of Literature. It is the nineteenth large ...

and

Bengaluru Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

would be shortened, and the districts of Wayanad and Kozhikode will be linked without crossing the Thamarassery Churam. Konkan Railway was appointed as SPV for tunnel project by Kerala Government. On 2024 September, Konkan Railway opened tenders for project and out of 7 bids Dilip Buildcon Limited awarded the project for INR 1341 crore with a construction period of 4 years. Approach Bridge at Iruvanjippuzha tender awarded to Royal Infra Construct at 80.4 crores.

Overview

The tunnel road project is one of 30 significant projects in

that the

chief minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union ter ...

has directly reviewed. It is considered significant since it easily connects business, industrial, and tourism areas such as

and

Mysuru Mysore ( ), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Mysore district and Mysore division. As the traditional seat of the Wadiyar dynasty, the city functioned as the capital of the ...

with Kerala. The existing route via the Thamarassery Ghat is time-consuming and frequently disrupted by landslides and rain, making the tunnel road a much-needed option. The Ghat is the most direct route for Wayanad residents to reach railway station, airports and super specialised hospitals. A little accident or technical problem in a vehicle, on the other hand, could cause hours of traffic congestion on the road. The new tunnel road is expected to reduce this traffic congestion in Thamarassery Ghat and also improve the cargo transit from

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

. The twin-tube tunnel's entire length will be 8.17 kilometres, with the Swargam Kunnu-Kalladi section covering 6.8 km. The estimated cost of the project is nearly 1500 crores. In September 2020, the tunnel construction survey began. In lieu of the land used for the project, the

state government A state government is the government that controls a subdivision of a country in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonom ...

is required by the Central Ministry to plant trees on 17.263 hectares and declare them as reserve forest. The state government must complete this task and notify the Central Ministry within five years.

Route

Kerala Government announced this will be State Highway 83 connecting Kozhikode and Wayanad Districts which will be an alternative route for Thamarassery Ghat. Proposed route will be through

Kunnamangalam Kunnamangalam is a growing census town located about 14 km east of Kozhikode city on National highway 766. Nearby places are Koduvally, Mukkam, Chathamangalam, and Kattangal. India's premier educational institutions like Indian Insti ...

- NIT -

Mukkam Mukkam is a major municipal town in the Kozhikode district, in the state of Kerala, India. Mukkam is located about 27 km east of Kozhikode city on the banks of Iruvanjippuzha River, one of the major tributaries of the Chaliyar River. It ...

Thiruvambady Thiruvambady is a historic hill town in Kozhikode district in Kerala, India. Thiruvambady is a Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act 1996, Panchayat headquarters, and a legislative assembly constituency, situated from west of Kozhikode. ...

Anakkampoyil Anakkampoil is a hill Village in Kozhikode district in Kerala, India. is located about 50 km from the Kozhikode situated at the foothills of Vellarimala. Blessed with the presence of streams and lush forests in the valleys of lush green hills ...

- Kalladi -

Meppadi Meppadi is a small town in the Indian state of Kerala. It is a scenic hill station on the State Highway between Kozhikode and Ooty. The nearest city is Kalpetta, which is the headquarters of the Wayanad revenue district. History 2024 La ...

Kalpetta Kalpetta is a city and town and Grade 2 municipality in the Wayanad district of the Indian state of Kerala. Kalpetta is the headquarters of the Wayanad district, as well as the headquarters of Vythiri taluk. It is surrounded by dense coffee ...

. Central Government also announced a Greenfield Highway is planning connecting Kozhikode and Mysore via proposed Wayanad Tunnel.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kozhikode-Wayanad Tunnel Road Proposed roads in India Proposed infrastructure in Kerala History of Kerala (1947–present)

Overview

Route

See also

References