Commuters walk on the damaged stretch of the Thamarassery Ghat Road near Chippilithode on Friday to board their bus to Kozhikode. more-in Tarring works on the widened Thamarassery Ghat Road stretch near Chipplithode will be completed soon to resume bus service on the route from Sunday. Public Works Department (National Highway division) officials said the tarring works in nearly 400 square-metre area could be completed on Saturday itself if there is no continuous rain. An engineer in-charge of the works said the one-way arrangement for light motor vehicles and other restrictions imposed on the route for inter-State bus services could be completely lifted with the completion of tarring works. The government spent about ?20 lakh for executing the widening work on a war footing basis, he added. Transport Minister A.K. Saseendran and Excise and Labour Minister T.P. Ramakrishnan visited the site on Friday and reviewed the works. They said vehicular traffic would be resumed on the route after a final inspection by a PWD team on Sunday. They also made it clear that the restriction on lorries would be continued. Additional District Magistrate T. Janilkumar, Deputy Collector (Disaster Management) P.P. Krishnankutty and senior PWD officers were present. Retaining wall As an additional safety measure, the PWD would soon start a field study for the construction of a retaining wall near the road, where the land caved in. A drilling rig would be brought to the spot for land inspection. For more than a week, vehicular traffic on the route was under strict regulation to facilitate the speedy repairing of the damaged stretch. Heavy vehicles, including inter-State buses and trucks, were diverted via Kuttiyadi and Nadukani pass. As widening was required to restore the traffic, the department had secured additional land from the possession of the Forest Department. With the frequent traffic interruption on the route as a result of monsoon-related calamities and freak accidents, local bodies in the area have come up with the demand to constitute a quick response team that can swing into action during crisis time and ensure the smooth flow of vehicles.

Stay updated with all the Latest Kozhikode headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.