Thamarassery Ghat snarled again; recurring bottlenecks crippling Kerala's vital hill road

Traffic on the Thamarassery Ghat Road, the key mountain route linking Kerala's Wayanad and Kozhikode districts, remained severely disrupted for more than 10 hours from Thursday evening to Friday morning after a series of incidents triggered a massive gridlock.

The congestion stranded buses, private vehicles, tourist traffic, goods carriers and even emergency medical vehicles, highlighting the challenges of managing traffic on one of Kerala's busiest and most difficult hill roads.

What triggered the traffic gridlock?

The immediate disruption began when a multi-axle truck broke down near the fourth hairpin bend around midnight. The stranded vehicle blocked both sides of the narrow road, leaving no room for other vehicles to pass.

At the same time, repair work near the eighth hairpin bend had already reduced traffic to a single lane after part of the road caved in. Vehicles had to be regulated in one direction at a time, creating a bottleneck.

Police said clearing the congestion became difficult because traffic was already moving under one-way regulation on parts of the ghat due to the ongoing road repairs.

Earlier on Thursday evening, another disruption had added to the pressure. An SUV developed a mechanical fault and came to a halt in the middle of the eighth hairpin bend around 7.30 pm. Large vehicles could pass only from one side until a recovery vehicle removed the SUV around 10.30 pm. The arrival of multi-axle trucks after the night traffic restriction ended further increased congestion. Even the vehicle carrying Kerala Agriculture Minister T. Siddique was delayed in the traffic for more than 15 minutes.

Why did the congestion become so severe?

The breakdowns alone were not the only reason. Once the truck became stranded, several heavy vehicles queued up behind it and found it difficult to negotiate the sharp bends. The single-lane section near the eighth hairpin bend slowed movement further, resulting in long lines of vehicles on both sides of the ghat.

Heavy rain also worsened driving conditions, reducing visibility and making traffic management more challenging.

The damaged stretch near the eighth hairpin bend has apparently become a recurring bottleneck. Residents pointed to the lack of round-the-clock police deployment at every hairpin bend, saying it makes handling emergencies and regulating traffic more difficult.

How was traffic restored?

Thamarassery Police, assisted by volunteers from the Wayanad Churam Action Council, worked through the night to remove stranded vehicles and regulate traffic.

After hours of clearing operations, two-way traffic gradually resumed around 10 am on Friday.

Meanwhile, authorities advised travellers to remain cautious as heavy rain continues in the area. They urged people to avoid non-essential journeys through the ghat, especially at night, and asked lorries to stay away from the route where possible because of the risk of landslides. Those who must travel have also been advised not to stop beneath rocky slopes or along vulnerable road shoulders.