The official project launch of the proposed Anakkampoyil-Meppadi tunnel road was held at Thiruvambadi in the district on Monday. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced the project launch through video conferencing in the presence of State Ministers and people’s representatives.
Mr. Vijayan said the tunnel road project estimated to cost ₹658 crore would be the third such biggest undertaking in the country. He said it would be completed by complying with all the existing ecological regulations.
The Chief Minister also pointed that the sub-terrain road to be constructed by the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited would reduce the traffic congestion on the hazardous Thamarassery Ghat road. “It would also be a boost for the domestic tourism sector and for the promotion of trade and commerce between Karnataka and the Malabar region”.
Referring to some of the environmental concerns raised by activists against the seven-kilometre long road project, Mr. Vijayan said the Left Democratic Front-led Government was in favour of adopting an appropriate decision which could equally address the environmental concerns and the requirement of local development. “We were not ready to succumb to unwanted controversies,” he clarified.
Minister for Public Works G. Sudhakaran, who presided over the event online, said the tunnel road project could be completed in three years. “The State government has already agreed to sanction any additional amount required for the timely completion of the project,” he said.
The launch event conducted by following COVID-19 protocol at Thiruvambadi was attended by the Minister for Labour and Excise T.P. Ramakrishnan, Parliament Member M.V. Shreyams Kumar, Thiruvambadi MLA George M. Thomas and Thamarassery Bishop Remigiose Inchananiyil.
It was in 2014 that a feasibility study of the innovative proposal was done by the Government to realise an alternative road to Wayanad district. In 2016, it was officially approved for further proceedings and survey works. A few months ago, the State government accorded sanction to the estimate of ₹658 crore for implementation under Kerala State Infrastructure Investment Fund Board.
Officials who prepared the preliminary estimate said the cost to complete one kilometre stretch of the proposed road alone would come around ₹150 crore considering the additional development requirements. It would also include the cost of constructing a 70-metre long bridge at Kundanthodu. The total length of the sub-terrain road would be seven kilometres.
