Vadakkencherry: A landslide above the Kuthiran tunnel has renewed locals’ demand for an alternative route, with residents warning that any disruption inside the tunnel could leave them stranded. The Kuthiran Janakeeya Koottayma has petitioned the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to reopen the old National Highway as a service road along the six-lane Vadakkencherry-Mannuthy highway

The landslide, which caused traffic disruptions along the route for days on end, has highlighted the risks of relying on a single route. Locals fear that an accident or emergency inside the tunnel could leave hundreds of families living in the region with no alternative way out.

The old highway extends up to the entrance of the tunnel carrying traffic from Thrissur towards Palakkad. Locals say clearing the rock blocking the stretch would be enough to complete the service road.

The Forest Department, however, has opposed the move, maintaining that the road passes through forest land. An earlier attempt by the NHAI to develop the stretch as a service road ran into trouble after the department approached the court. The old highway was completely closed after the tunnel opened to traffic. Locals have urged the government, NHAI and Forest Department to hold talks and find a solution.

Incomplete service roads fuel safety concerns
Meanwhile, the demand for completing the 10-km service road between Vadakkanchery and Vaniyampara has intensified amid a spate of accidents. Four people have died in separate accidents at Panthalampadam and Paniyankara over the past three months while crossing the highway or walking along it, highlighting the risks posed by incomplete road infrastructure.

The school protection committee has been demanding a service road in front of Paniyankara Government LP School for the past three years. The existing service road here ends near the school, and locals say extending it by just 200 metres would complete the stretch in front of the institution.

Around 3,000 students study at Paniyankara Shobha Academy and Mary Matha Higher Secondary School at Panthalampadam, where the service roads are yet to be completed. Locals have stepped up their demand for an underpass in front of the Panthalampadam school to ensure safer passage for students and other pedestrians.