Narrow service road at Chala turns Kannur–Kuthuparamba highway into bottleneck

What was once a vital stretch on the Kannur–Kuthuparamba state highway at Chala has now deteriorated to a condition worse than a rural village road. Commuters travelling between Kannur and Kuthuparamba face endless gridlock and perilous driving conditions daily, following the dismantling of the main highway for national highway expansion works.

Stalled work and chaotic traffic
The current crisis stems from the reliance on a single service road measuring just seven metres in width. Unregulated two-way traffic along this tight stretch has thrown Chala into utter chaos. Local residents report that commuters are escaping serious accidents by the skin of their teeth almost every day. The situation could be mitigated if construction on the dedicated Kannur-bound service road were completed, but work there has remained stalled midway.

Series of accidents on narrow stretch
The dangers of this bottleneck were starkly highlighted when an out-of-control lorry ploughed into a scooter, an autorickshaw, and a car near the Chala Ambalam bus stop. The service road barely accommodates one large vehicle at a time, yet heavy buses and lorries squeeze past each other continuously. Two-wheeler riders frequently skid and fall after grazing against larger vehicles in the congested space.

Darkness and dangerous intersections
Adding to the peril, the service road is plunged into total darkness at night due to a lack of street lighting. The danger is particularly acute at the junction near Chala Ambalam stop, where the service road meets the Attadappa road and the underpass road. Vehicles speeding into this busy junction from the Kannur side pose a constant threat, prompting urgent demands from locals for immediate speed-calming measures and traffic control.