Chalakkayam-Pampa road reopens a day ahead of Sabarimala season

With just a day to go for the annual pilgrimage season to begin, the Chalakkayam-Pampa road, the main access route to Sabarimala, has been reopened to traffic after a major upgrade.

Inaugurating the restored road here on Sunday, Public Works Minister P. K. Basheer described the completion of the project in just one month as a proud achievement of the department. He credited the coordination among various departments and thanked Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan for his support in expediting the work.

The 4.5-km stretch has been upgraded to modern standards, with the road widened to 12 metres.

According to Mr.Basheer, the decision to take up the renovation on a war footing was made at a review meeting chaired by the Chief Minister in Thiruvananthapuram as part of efforts to improve infrastructure ahead of the pilgrimage season. Administrative sanction was granted within 24 hours and Cabinet approval secured within an hour, paving the way for the work to begin. All necessary procedures were completed within the stipulated time.

The Minister also announced that the government had approved a special PWD package worth ₹553 crore for various development works linked to the Sabarimala pilgrimage. Nearly 80% of the works under the package have already been tendered. The initiative is expected to accelerate the development of pilgrimage routes and improve basic infrastructure.

According to PWD officials, the road has been laid with a 5-cm-thick bituminous macadam (BM) layer topped by a 3-cm-thick bituminous concrete (BC) layer. Its foundation has also been strengthened with a 20 to 30-cm-thick layer of metal aggregate to improve its load-bearing capacity and durability.The project also included ancillary works such as the laying of concrete interlocking blocks along both sides of the road from Thriveni to the U-turn. Protective structures have also been incorporated to ensure safer travel for pilgrims.

Health and Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan presided over the function.