6 hours ago
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The works on the Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi tunnel road, which was inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan two months ago, are progressing steadily. With the two access roads nearly completed on both sides, the works on the tunnel may commence within a couple of months.
The access roads are ready on the Wayanad side from Meppadi to Meenakshippalam, while that on the Anakkampoyil side is in progress.
“We only need to cut a few trees and set up the temporary bridge across river Iruvazhinji at Marippuzha. Once the bridge is done, we can start transporting construction materials for the tunnel”, said Hashim.V.K, executive engineer (Roads Division) of the Public Works department in Kozhikode. He is also the nodal officer for the tunnel road project.
Ambitious project
The twin-tunnel project is an ambitious one for the State government and is the result of a long-pending demand of the local people. The 8.73-km proposed road connects Thiruvambady panchayat in Kozhikode district to Meppadi panchayat in Wayanad district through a 8.11-km tunnel between Marippuzha and Meenakshippalam.
It is a ₹2,134.5-crore project which would reduce the travelling time between Anakkampoyil and Meppadi by 1.5 hours and 22 km. The project has been funded by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), with the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd (KRCL) as a special purpose vehicle. The tunnels will be constructed by Hyderabad-based Dilip Buildcon Pvt Ltd, while Royal Infrastructure company has developed the approach roads.
Once completed, this road is expected to be the longest twin tunnel road and the third longest tunnel road in the country. It will have modern facilities for safety and monitoring such as ventilation, fire fighting units, tunnel radio system, CCTV, escape route lighting, emergency call system and traffic signals. The two tunnels will be connected every 300 metres to avoid traffic congestion if and when necessary. The project is expected to be completed in four years.
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