Forest Dept set to hand over land to NHAI for widening key hairpins on Thamarassery Ghat Road
This ₹37-crore project will widen hairpin bends and construct protective infrastructure, significantly enhancing vehicle capacity and road safety.
This ₹37-crore project will widen hairpin bends and construct protective infrastructure, significantly enhancing vehicle capacity and road safety.
This ₹37-crore project will widen hairpin bends and construct protective infrastructure, significantly enhancing vehicle capacity and road safety.
Wayanad: The widening of the 6th, 7th and 8th hairpin bends on the Thamarassery Ghat Road, a critical route connecting Wayanad to the plains, is set to progress with the Forest Department confirming readiness to hand over land to the National Highways Authority of India(NHAI). The upgrade aims to resolve chronic traffic snarls along the 9-km stretch, particularly during weekends and peak tourist season.
The ₹37-crore project, awarded to Choudhari Construction Company, New Delhi, covers widening the bends, building footpaths and handrails and constructing protective retaining walls. Once completed, road width will expand to 14.55–17.3 metres at curve entry points and up to 26.5–38.15 metres at the centre of hairpin turns, significantly increasing vehicle carrying capacity and improving safety.
Approval for the project was secured after the Union Ministry for Forest, Environment and Climate Change cleared the proposal in 2022. Preliminary work, including undergrowth clearing and marking trees for felling, has begun. The Forest Department has identified trees for auction and is currently finalising the valuation. Officials confirmed that the NHA will not need to pay additional compensation for the trees.
The Public Works Department had earlier acquired 0.92 hectares from the Forest Department for ₹32 lakh in April 2018, as part of preparatory measures for the upgrade. The land falls under the Kanalad Forest Section within the Thamarassery Forest Range.
Divisional Forest Officer U Ashique Ali said all departmental formalities are nearing completion. “We are ready to hand over the land to the NHA at any time. Once the NHA takes over, tree removal will proceed smoothly. All marked trees will be auctioned,” he said. Thamarassery Range Officer Prem Shameer has been directed to expedite pending procedural work.
With monsoon rainfall subsiding and tourism gaining momentum, traffic volumes on this stretch have increased, often resulting in long delays, particularly after an accident.