Kalpetta: Vehicular movement on the Thamarassery ghat road will be affected starting Monday as re-tarring work begins. According to an order from Kozhikode District Collector Snehil Kumar, heavy vehicles will be strictly prohibited from 6 am to 9 pm on Mondays and holidays.
Partial repairs on hairpin bend 6, 7, and 8 have already been completed, sources said. However, the overall condition of the road remains poor, with many curves lacking proper interlock paving, leading to deep gutters. "Heavy trucks often get stuck in these gutters, causing long traffic jams. Although some patchwork has begun, tarring is yet to start. Numerous potholes are visible from Lakkidi in Wayanad to the first bend of the ghat road," said Moidu Muttayi, president of the Wayanad Churam Road Samrakshana Samithy.
Earlier, on October 27, 2023, the district collector issued an order regulating heavy vehicle traffic on the ghat road, particularly on weekends and holidays. However, insufficient enforcement led to its failure. The restrictions are now being reintroduced, with heavy vehicles with more than six wheels barred from using the ghat road every Monday and holiday from 6 am to 9 pm and 3 pm to 9 pm on Fridays before second Saturdays.
Sources reveal that many large trucks from other states violated previous orders due to a lack of awareness. Recently, a 12-wheeler truck overturned, leading to a five-hour traffic jam. Local leaders believe that improved policing, especially at the Lakkidi entry point, could prevent such incidents. The ghat road often experiences heavy traffic early in the morning as container trucks released from the night traffic ban on NH 766 through Muthanga rush toward Kozhikode.
