Traffic resumes on Kochi-Dhanushkodi highway in Munnar
Traffic resumed on the Kochi-Dhanushkodi Highway route, near Munnar CSI church, on Thursday evening. According to District Collector Dinesan Cheruvat, single-lane traffic was restored after
Traffic resumed on the Kochi-Dhanushkodi Highway route, near Munnar CSI church, on Thursday evening. According to District Collector Dinesan Cheruvat, single-lane traffic was restored after an expert panel inspected the site Thursday morning. Traffic had been suspended since July 4 evening, when a major crack and mudslide occurred near the church. Following the initial closure, the district administration had directed the Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to clear the soil from the road and cut down several trees to prevent future mudslides.
The NHAI completed this work on Wednesday evening. Idukki Deputy Collector Binu Joseph, who attended the expert panel meeting, said a single-lane traffic was allowed to resume due to the urgent need to reopen the highway. Officials said that vehicles arriving from the Adimaly route must pass through the left side of the CSI church route to enter Munnar town. Vehicles coming from Marayur and Mattupetty routes must take the Devikulam small bridge route and use the new bridge near the church to connect to the highway.
The District Police Chief has been directed to ensure smooth traffic flow and deploy personnel for 24-hour duty. Additionally, the Highway project director must install barricades and proper warning signs along the road. The district administration noted that traffic will be immediately suspended if any further mudslides or soil shifts occur or if orange or red alerts are issued for the district. The Munnar village officer will conduct daily inspections to check if the crack near the church is widening and will report findings to the District Disaster Management Authority.
The closure of the highway had previously caused hours-long traffic gridlock across the hill station. This severe congestion, combined with repeated demands from tourism stakeholders, prompted authorities to expedite the reopening of the road.
The BriefWire