CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC), a wing of the state highways, on Thursday announced an increase in the vehicle user fee for the Vandalur-Minjur Outer Ring Road (ORR), effective from April 1. The revised toll rates will see a hike of a minimum Rs 7 and maximum of Rs 33, depending on the vehicle category.
For cars and three-wheelers travelling the entire 62-km stretch from Vandalur to Minjur, the toll has been raised from Rs 133 to Rs 140 per vehicle. The user fee for large vehicles (seven-axle and above) has been increased from Rs 862 to Rs 895.
Similarly, charges for shorter distances between intermediate junctions have also been increased proportionally, ranging from Rs 3 to Rs 15. The toll for buses and other two-axle vehicles has been increased from Rs 452 to Rs 470 for the full stretch.
Although the total distance of the ORR is 62 km, the tollable length is calculated as 94 km due to the inclusion of interchanges bridges, and flyovers.
The revised toll rates will remain in effect until March 31, 2026. The TNRDC notification also warned that overloaded vehicles would be fined 10 times the applicable toll for their category.
The six-lane, access-controlled ORR connects Chennai-Tiruchy Highway at Vandalur with Thiruvottiyur-Ponneri-Panchetti Road at Minjur via Nemilichery. The road was developed by TNRDC at a cost of Rs 1,081.4 crore under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
The motorists are levied user fee at four plazas located at Varatharajapuram (6 km), Kolappancheri (21.8 km), Palavedu (30.85 km), and Chinnamullaivoyal (56.70 km).
About 40,000 vehicles use the stretch daily.