Kodaikanal–Munnar Road
| Route information | |
|---|---|
| Length: | 81 km (50 mi) |
| Existed: | 1925 – 1990 |
| Major junctions | |
| West end: | Kodaikanal |
| East end: | Munnar |
| Location | |
| States: | Tamil Nadu, Kerala |
| Highway system | |
The Kodaikanal–Munnar Road (old SH-18) was located in Dindigul District and Theni District of Tamil Nadu and Idukki district of Kerala in South India. It covers 81 kilometers (50 mi) from Kodaikanal to Munnar. The road was improved by the British in 1942 as an evacuation route in preparation for a possible Japanese invasion of South India. With a maximum elevation of 2,480 meters (8,140 ft) just south of Vandaravu Peak, it was among the highest roads in India, south of the Himalayas, prior to its closure in 1990.
In 1864 Douglas Hamilton submitted a report stating that the Berijam Swamp area was the best site in the Palani Hills for a military cantonment or sanatorium. "Let but the lake be reconstructed and a road made to it, and this magnificent sheet of water . . . will of itself attract residents to its vicinity. "The Fort Hamilton military outpost, later built there, was named for him.
In 1900 the Kundale Road and Tramway between Munnar and Top Station was completed by the Kanan Devan Hills Produce Company. The 35 kilometers (22 mi) road runs down the valley of the Kundale River. The road was built 4.6 meters (15 ft) wide of which 3.7 meters (12 ft) was metaled. The sharpest curve was 20 meters (66 ft) and the steepest gradient was 1 in 30. There were 22 timber bridges between 7.6 meters (25 ft) and 20 meters (66 ft) span. By 1905 the timber bridges were being replaced by steel and concrete structures.
In 1915, Law's Ghat road, opened Kodaikanal to cars, trucks, and buses coming from Batlagundu. In 1925, a second ghat road was started from Berijam Lake to Top Station, connecting with Munner, Kerala and eventually Cochin, a total distance of 257 kilometers (160 mi). This was an extraordinarily slow dirt road, taking about eleven hours to reach Cochin. The road was impassable during and after heavy rains.
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