Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) has approved the allotment of Rs 2,134.5 crore for the tunnel road project, an alternative to the busy Thamarassery Ghat Pass that would link Kozhikode and Wayanad districts.

Linto Joseph, Thiruvambadi MLA, told the media that the state government provided the administrative sanction for Rs 658 crore for the proposed road on the Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi route.

Subsequently, according to the Detailed Project Report (DPR), drafted by the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL), the cost was estimated to be Rs 2,134 crore. After getting permission from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and administrative sanction from the government, construction would start.

The District Collectors of Kozhikode and Wayanad are directed to acquire land for the proposed road. The project would not only help the districts of Kozhikode and Wayanad but also the Kannur and Malappuram ones.

The distance from Kozhikode to Wayanad would be decreased to 54 km from the existing 85 km.