Twin tunnel project: How it will reduce travel time between Kozhikode and Wayanad

“Without a Chief Minister like Pinarayi Vijayan, this tunnel would never have taken shape. Despite hurdle after hurdle, he pushed through and made it possible.” The praise for the Chief Minister and the LDF government came from an unexpected quarter, Thamarassery Bishop Remigiose Inchananiyil, who has often been a critic of Pinarayi. His words set the tone for the inauguration of Kerala’s most ambitious road infrastructure project in recent years. At Anakkampoyil on Sunday (August 31), the Chief Minister formally launched work on the Rs 2,134-crore Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi twin-tube tunnel, which, once completed, will be Kerala’s longest and among the largest in the country.

For the state government, the tunnel has been projected as a crucial piece of infrastructure that will redefine mobility in North Kerala. The 8.73-kilometre project, of which 8.11 kilometres will be actual tunnelling, promises to create an all-weather alternative to the landslide-prone Thamarassery Ghat road. Officials say travel time between Kozhikode and Wayanad will be drastically reduced, benefitting trade, tourism, and access to healthcare. Farmers and traders hope for easier routes to markets in Kochi and Bengaluru, while patients from Wayanad expect safer and faster passage to Kozhikode’s hospitals.

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The Bishop’s remarks, highlighting the political will required to move the project forward, also rekindled memories of how divisive the tunnel proposal had been in earlier years. Opposition Leader VD Satheesan had once declared that a project of this scale in the ecologically fragile Western Ghats would never be allowed.

Congress MLA Siddique backs project

“They are planning a tunnel which will affect the ecology. We will oppose it; we will not let it happen,” he had said, voicing the fears of those who believed that disturbing the mountain range could invite irreversible damage.

Incidentally, the Leader of the Opposition was absent from the inauguration. He is currently abroad on a visit to the Middle East.

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Yet, at the inauguration, the political mood was far from uniform opposition. Kalpetta MLA T Siddique of Congress welcomed the start of construction, saying it was a long-pending demand of the people of Wayanad. While praising the government for acting decisively, he also credited late UDF leaders Oommen Chandy and KM Mani for initiating the first steps towards the tunnel, from setting aside funds to commissioning preliminary studies. Siddique stressed that the project should be seen not through a partisan lens but as a collective commitment to improve connectivity and safety in the region.

What CM said

Chief Minister Vijayan, speaking at the inauguration, framed the project as part of Kerala’s determination to move ahead with development despite financial constraints and what he described as neglect from the Centre. The tunnel, he said, demonstrated how Kerala could mobilise resources through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) and implement projects long delayed by earlier governments.

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Still, the concerns flagged by Satheesan and environmentalists have not been laid to rest. The Ministry of Environment and Forests cleared the project only with strict conditions: vibration monitoring, limited blasting, and continuous oversight of landslide risks. The alignment passes through sensitive stretches of the Western Ghats and near elephant corridors, raising questions about habitat fragmentation. Critics warn that unless these safeguards are rigorously enforced, the project could aggravate ecological instability in a district already prone to natural disasters.

The tunnel’s project launch came close on the heels of a landslide that forced authorities to shut down NH 766 for at least 48 hours, triggering massive traffic snarls and diversions. The incident became a flashpoint, with both the pro project politicians and environmentalists using it to drive home their arguments.

Allegation of govt yielding to land mafia

“Alternative routes are not a solution to the persistent traffic congestion at Thamarassery Ghat. Wayanad already has one road connecting to Malappuram district, two to Kozhikode, and two to Kannur. If the existing roads are widened, modernised, and strengthened, Wayanad’s traffic issues can be resolved. The tunnel route is the result of the government yielding to the pressure of land mafia and the resort lobby,” stated the Wayanad Nature Protection Committee.

This tension between development aspirations and environmental caution was visible even at the launch. While supporters described the tunnel as a game-changer that could end Wayanad’s isolation, sceptics urged the government to treat ecological safeguards with equal urgency as engineering deadlines.

The scale of the project underlines its significance. At 8.73 kilometres, the twin-tube tunnel will surpass any existing road tunnel in Kerala, and rank among the largest nationally. Construction is expected to be completed in around five years, depending on geological challenges and funding flow.

Clearance from Centre

After three decades of discussions, surveys, and political promises, work has finally begun. The Wayanad twin-tunnel project secured conditional environmental clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in June 2025. The nod came with over 60 stringent safeguards aimed at addressing the ecological vulnerabilities of the Western Ghats, ranging from landslides and ground vibrations to threats to biodiversity, including the endangered Banasura Laughing thrush. The conditions require detailed hazard mapping, continuous monitoring systems, strict norms for controlled blasting, establishment of wildlife corridors, and periodic environmental audits. Yet, experts and sections of the local community remain worried that the project could still inflict irreversible damage on the fragile ecosystem.

For some, it represents long overdue justice to a region that has often felt cut off, especially during monsoons when ghat roads are frequently blocked by landslides. For others, it is a test case of whether large-scale infrastructure can be delivered in a way that is both people-friendly and ecologically responsible.

The coming years will determine how the tunnel is remembered, whether as a triumph of political will and engineering, or as a project whose costs outweighed its promises. For now, the narrative remains split: a Bishop hailing determination, an Opposition leader recalling ecological alarm, and a local MLA urging recognition of the many hands that kept the idea alive. Between those positions lies the story of Kerala’s biggest tunnel, and the difficult balance it represents between ambition and caution.