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The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is expected to take over the 110-km NH-766 stretch between Vellimadukunnu in Kozhikode and Muthanga in Wayanad by October 2026, paving the way for detailed planning of its proposed four-laning. NHAI is preparing to establish a site office at Kalpetta to oversee the corridor, while the Detailed Project Report will be prepared under its Kozhikode project office. The proposed development covers the full Vellimadukunnu-Muthanga corridor and includes consideration of alternative routes and bypasses to address congestion and improve connectivity through the region.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is expected to take over the 110-km NH-766 corridor between Vellimadukunnu in Kozhikode and Muthanga in Wayanad by October 2026, enabling detailed planning for the proposed four-laning of the route. The takeover will bring the stretch under NHAI’s direct project framework and allow further technical and design work to proceed.
The section currently extends from Vellimadukunnu in Kozhikode to Muthanga near the Kerala-Karnataka border in Wayanad. It has so far been under the national highway wing of the Kerala Public Works Department, while development-related responsibilities have been handled by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The proposed transfer is intended to streamline implementation of the highway development programme.
NHAI is preparing to establish a site office at Kalpetta in Wayanad to oversee activities connected with the corridor. Preparatory work for the office has begun, and a dedicated team, including a site engineer, is expected to be put in place. The local office will provide an administrative and technical base for NHAI’s work along the highway.
Following the takeover, preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the proposed widening will be handled by the NHAI project director’s office in Kozhikode. The DPR will examine the technical feasibility, alignment requirements and design of the proposed four-lane road across the entire Vellimadukunnu-Muthanga stretch. An NHAI tender for preparation of the DPR also covers an alternative four-lane bypass option for the Thamarassery Ghat portion.
The development plan is intended to address persistent traffic constraints along the Kozhikode-Wayanad route, particularly around the Thamarassery Ghat section. One proposal under consideration is an alternative road connecting Chippilithode, Maruthilavu and Thalipuzha. The route is intended to provide another connection and reduce dependence on the existing ghat road.
Additional bypasses have been proposed at Koduvally, Thamarassery and Sultan Bathery. These components are expected to be examined as part of the wider planning exercise for the corridor. The final configuration, alignment and construction requirements will be determined through the DPR process.
The proposed four-laning covers the Vellimadukunnu-Puthuppady and Puthuppady-Muthanga sections, creating a continuous development plan between Kozhikode and the Wayanad side of the corridor. Earlier government documents had identified capacity augmentation works on portions of NH-766, while the latest NHAI planning is focused on assessing four-laning of the wider corridor.
The DPR preparation process has faced delays, with tenders for the exercise being invited and extended on multiple occasions. NHAI’s current tender covers preparation of the DPR for development of the Kozhikode-Muthanga road as a four-lane corridor, along with the alternative bypass option for the Thamarassery Ghat section.
The proposed takeover in October therefore represents an administrative step before detailed project planning and subsequent development decisions. Once NHAI assumes responsibility for the corridor, the DPR will provide the basis for determining the technical scope, alignment and infrastructure requirements for the proposed four-laning of NH-766 between Kozhikode and Muthanga.
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