Congestion continues on Thamarassery Ghat Road

The Thamarassery Ghat stretch of the Kozhikode–Wayanad National Highway (NH 766) continues to witness frequent traffic bottlenecks. On Sunday (January 11, 2026) although the stretch saw no major traffic blocks like on previous days, congestion was reported during the morning and evening hours.

A day earlier, the ghat road experienced a heavy traffic jam after vehicles broke down at the eighth and ninth hairpin bends. The heavy influx of visitors travelling to the hill district, including those heading to ‘Poopoli’, an international flower show being organised by the Regional Agricultural Research Station at Ambalavayal, further worsened the situation.

Following the traffic snarls, the authorities temporarily halted timber removal and road-widening works under a ₹37-crore project at the sixth, seventh and eighth hairpin bends, providing relief to commuters. Earlier, as part of the project, 400 trees were cut at the hairpin bends.

To facilitate timber removal and road-widening, strict traffic regulations have been in force on the Thamarassery ghat stretch since January 5. Multi-axle and other heavy vehicles are being diverted via the Nadukani or Kuttiyadi ghat routes.

As most traffic jams and accidents occur at these three narrow points, widening the hairpin bends is expected to ease congestion on the ghat section. The work includes widening the road, constructing footpaths, and installing handrails. Once completed, the road width will increase from 14.55 metres to 17.3 metres at the approaches to the curves and from 26.5 metres to 38.15 metres at the middle of the bends.