Piravom–Ilanji Road traffic diversion has disrupted movement in the Palachuvadu sector after the Public Works Department began rebuilding a collapsed culvert at Thekkum Moottilpadi. The full road closure is forcing vehicles towards narrow inland routes, where residents report traffic blockages, damage to electricity service wires and growing difficulties for long-distance travellers.
The culvert work began on October 19 after a slab at the location broke and the structure deteriorated. The damage had reportedly remained for about three months. The Public Works Department is undertaking the reconstruction before the pilgrimage season, when the route is used by Sabarimala pilgrims as well as hundreds of other vehicles, including private buses and long-distance traffic.
The road has been completely blocked because its limited width does not allow the culvert to be rebuilt by diverting traffic over one half of the carriageway at a time. Traffic is being redirected away from the Palachuvadu and Thekkum Moottilpadi sections while construction continues.
Warning boards have been installed at Piravom Hospital Junction, Palachuvadu, Mulakkulam Church Junction, Kalluvettamadam and Mukkada Thazham. However, vehicles that fail to understand or follow the diversion information are continuing towards the closed section and becoming stuck on narrow interior roads, according to the report.
Residents in the Palachuvadu and Thekkum Moottilpadi areas have access to local lanes, but they said other vehicles, including heavy vehicles, were using these routes as alternative passages. This has created congestion on inland roads, including the canal bund. Residents also reported incidents in which large vehicles damaged or snapped electricity service wires while attempting to pass through the restricted routes.
The disruption highlights the operational difficulty of closing a busy regional road where alternative routes are narrower and not designed to handle diverted traffic. Residents have asked authorities to enforce the closure more strictly and ensure that vehicles use only the designated diversion routes. The immediate issue remains the completion of the culvert reconstruction and the restoration of traffic on the Piravom–Ilanji Road.
