Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday switched on the first rock blast for the construction of the Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi road tunnel, signalling a key step in the construction of the 8.73-km tunnel road connecting the Kozhikode and Wayanad districts of Kerala.
Though entry of the public to the site was restricted as part of the safety measures in place around the project area, hundreds of local residents and representatives of local bodies gathered at the Muthappanpuzha ALP School, where the blast was broadcast live at around 12.15 pm.
The proposed 8.73-km tunnel is among the largest infrastructure development projects in the state which is being supervised by the Kerala Public Works Department and funded by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).
The Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) responsible for the implementation and execution of the project is Konkan Railway Corporation Limited. The construction contract for the tunnel has been awarded to Bhopal-based Dilip Buildcon Company and the contract for the steel bowstring bridge has been awarded to Haryana-based Punia Construction Company. This dream project of the government is being implemented at a cost of Rs 2134.50 crore.
With the completion of the approximately 8.7 km long tunnel, the travel time between the two districts, Kozhikode and Wayanad, will be reduced by half. The distance of the tunnel from Anakkampoyil to Meppadi is approximately 8.7 km. The tunnel is being constructed using state-of-the-art technology in an environmentally friendly manner. The land acquisition process, which is the first phase of the project, had already been completed.
The special feature of the road is that it can be traveled smoothly in any weather. A four-lane tunnel connecting Kozhikode and Wayanad is being prepared as an alternative to the Thamarassery pass.