Midnight gridlock on Thamarassery Ghat leaves thousands stranded; traffic snarl persists for over 10 hours

Kozhikode: Around midnight on Friday, traffic on the Thamarassery Ghat Road came to a near-complete standstill after multiple heavy vehicles became stranded at different points along the mountain pass, triggering one of the worst traffic snarls witnessed on the route in recent months. More than 10 hours later, the gridlock continued unabated, leaving thousands of commuters stranded and severely disrupting the movement of patients requiring emergency medical care, tourists, goods vehicles and public transport.

The congestion began around 12 am when a multi-axle truck got stuck while negotiating the fourth hairpin bend, blocking the movement of vehicles in both directions. The situation quickly deteriorated as several heavy trucks queued up behind it. Traffic was further affected near the eighth hairpin bend, where vehicles are currently restricted to a single lane because of ongoing road repairs. The continuous flow of heavy trucks, many of which struggled to manoeuvre through the sharp curves, compounded the congestion and brought traffic to a virtual halt.

After hours of coordinated efforts by the Thamarassery Police, assisted by volunteers of the Wayanad Churam Action Council, traffic movement slowly resumed in both directions around 10 am on Friday. However, police officials said normal traffic flow was expected to be restored only by afternoon. Authorities have advised travellers to avoid the Thamarassery Ghat Road until congestion eases and to use alternative routes wherever possible.

According to members of the Wayanad Churam Action Council, the sudden surge in heavy trucks shortly after midnight was the primary reason behind the massive traffic jam. "Heavy vehicles, especially trucks, are prohibited from using the ghat road during daytime. Once the restriction is lifted around midnight, trucks begin moving in long convoys. If even one heavy vehicle gets stranded at a hairpin bend, the entire traffic movement collapses. The ongoing road repair works and lane restrictions have made the situation even more challenging," said Lathif, a member of the Wayanad Churam Action Council.

The prolonged traffic jam also affected emergency medical transportation. Lathif recalled that a pregnant woman travelling from Pulloorampara in Kozhikode to a hospital in Meenangadi was trapped in the traffic near the fourth hairpin bend shortly after midnight.

"When her family contacted us for help, our volunteers reached the spot and managed to clear a path for their vehicle up to the seventh hairpin bend. Beyond that, the congestion was too severe to proceed further. We then arranged an ambulance, shifted her from the stranded vehicle and ensured she reached the hospital after nearly two hours of effort," he said.

Residents and motorists pointed out that the damaged stretch near the eighth hairpin bend had become one of the major bottlenecks on the route. A portion of the road had caved in, forcing authorities to regulate traffic through a single lane, resulting in long queues, particularly when heavy vehicles attempt to pass. They also alleged that the absence of round-the-clock police deployment at every hairpin bend has made traffic management more difficult during emergencies.

Police officials acknowledged that the breakdown of the truck at the fourth hairpin bend was the immediate trigger for Friday's traffic crisis. "The truck breakdown at the fourth hairpin bend caused the prolonged congestion. Our personnel have been working continuously to clear the traffic. However, because some stretches are operating under one-way regulation due to the ongoing repair works, restoring completely normal traffic movement will take time. Our patrol teams are doing everything possible to resolve the situation at the earliest," a senior Thamarassery police official said.