Uncertainty over tunnel road fuels push for Vilangad-Mananthavady route
Residents are pushing for the Vilangad-Mananthavady road as an alternative to the congested Thamarassery Ghat Road. This demand has intensified following the suspension of the Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi tunnel project due to a debris slip.
Why it matters
The project highlights the tension between infrastructure needs and environmental conservation in ecologically sensitive forest regions.
With the Thamarassery Ghat Road frequently witnessing traffic congestion, the demand for an alternative road connecting Kozhikode and Wayanad is gaining momentum.
The proposed Vilangad-Panom-Kunhome-Mananthavady route is being pushed as a possible alternative, particularly for travellers from north Kozhikode to north Wayanad.
The renewed demand for an alternative route comes amid uncertainty over the Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi twin-tube tunnel road project (Kozhikode-Wayanad Tunnel Road). Work on the project was halted after a debris slip near its entrance at Kalladi on July 7, 2026.
The demand for the Vilangad-Mananthavady route is nearly five decades old. The first move to establish a road from Vilangad through Panom to Kunhome, bypassing the ghat, began in 1977. Further efforts were made towards the end of the 1980s and in the early 1990s under the leadership of the MLAs of the time.
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