Traffic Banned on Adimaly-Munnar Highway After Rockfall

Vehicular traffic on the Adimaly-Munnar stretch of the Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway is banned following a major rockfall at Randammile near the Munnar hill station. Officials report that the rockfall happened during highway-widening work. The closure was ordered after loose boulders and trees along the roadside posed an immediate safety risk to commuters.

Traffic Diversions

Motorists travelling from Adimaly to Munnar must divert at Iruttukanam and proceed via Anachal and Randammile. Those heading from Munnar to Adimaly take the reverse Randammile-Anachal-Iruttukanam route, while travellers headed to Mankulam divert at Iruttukanam to reach Kallar Junction before turning onto the Mankulam road. District collector Dineshan Cheruvayal directed the National Highways Authority of India project director to clear the obstruction within three days. Traffic will resume only after a technical expert committee inspects the stretch and certifies safety, while the police and local authorities set up barricades and security at night.

Long-Term Measures

The District Disaster Management Authority directed the National Highways Authority of India to stop vertical cutting of roadside slopes and use scientific bench-cutting methods during widening work. The road closure coincides with the Pooja holiday rush, leading tourism stakeholders to worry that traffic diversion will cause prolonged gridlocks across the hill station.

Context

Hill station roads in regions prone to heavy rains and steep terrain frequently face rockfalls, particularly when excavation or widening work destabilizes vulnerable slopes. Authorities often implement temporary closures and route diversions during peak holiday seasons to balance public safety with tourism needs.