CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has 67 toll plazas maintained by the NHAI, and among them, the Parali Pudur plaza on Madurai - Natham - Thuvarankurichi NH has gained the distinction of being the most expensive in the state.
The 61.12 km four-lane NH, starting at Gokhale Road and ending at Thuvarankurichi, connects Dindigul and Tiruchy, charges Rs 190 for a single trip by car, Rs 305 for minivan or tempo van, and Rs 635 for truck or bus. In comparison, other six-lane highways like the Walajahpet - Pallikonda and Hosur - Krishnagiri sections, where the highways fenced for 80% of the stretch on both sides, charge Rs 110 and Rs 85 respectively. Why is the Madurai - Thuvarankurichi NH so costly?
A closer look at the toll calculation formula used by NHAI reveals that of the Rs 190 for a car, Rs 101 is solely for crossing the 7-km elevated corridor from Madurai to Chettikulam. Additionally, Rs 66.54 is charged for the 45 km stretch, and Rs 18.99 for the 8.6 km Natham bypass road. Toll collection on this route began on February 2 this year.
According to NH Fee (Determination of Rates & Collection) Rules 2008 and RTI responses obtained by TNIE from NHAI, the total tollable length of elevated structures is calculated using an equalisation factor of 10. This means the 6.9 km elevated corridor is charged as if it were a 69.3 km highway when calculating the fee.
Similarly, if a bypass for NH is constructed at a cost exceeding `10 crore, the total length is calculated 1.5 times for toll fee purposes. For the 8.6 km Natham bypass, the toll is calculated for 12.96 km. Thus, the total tollable length of the Madurai - Thuvarankurichi NH is 127.8 km. In Tamil Nadu, the toll fee per kilometre for vehicles is determined based on the 2007-08 base rate. The base rate was Rs 0.65 per km for cars, Rs 1.05 for tempos, and Rs 2.2 for trucks, and these have been increased annually by 2.4 % to 2.55 % considering the wholesale price index and inflation. Therefore, the toll fee fixed per km for 2024-25 is Rs 1.466 for cars, Rs 2.36 for minibuses, and Rs 4.96 for trucks.
Although the road distance is 61.1 km, the toll fee is calculated for 127.8 km according to NH’s rules. As a result, with a base rate of Rs 1.466 per km, the toll for a car totals Rs 187.35, which is then rounded up to `190, the documents revealed.
Sources indicated that the tollable length is determined based on the cost incurred for constructing the infrastructure. Documents obtained by TNIE reveal that NHAI spent an average of Rs 110 crore per km for building the elevated road from Madurai to Chettikulam (7.3 km), Rs 28.4 crore per km for the Chettikulam to Natham NH (29.39 km), and Rs 21.6 crore per km for the Natham to Thuvarankurichi NH (24.43 km).
“The construction cost of an elevated road is five to six times higher than that of adding two lanes to an existing road. Additionally, the maintenance costs for elevated structures are also significantly higher compared to regular roads,” said an official.
An NHAI official explained that the elevated road starts at Gokhale Road and reaches Chettikulam, passing through densely populated residential areas like Race Course Colony, Athikulam, Narayanapuram, Iyer Bungalow, Tirupalai, and Oomichikulam. “Given the heavy traffic and the inability to widen the road by acquiring land, the elevated corridor was proposed in consultation with locals and the state government.”
A section of locals said the travel time from Madurai to Chettikulam has been reduced from 45 minutes to 15 minutes, saving both fuel and time.
S Rethinavelu, president of the Agrofood Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said unlike in Chennai, Madurai’s roads are narrow and lack parking spaces. “Before widening, vehicles on Natham Road moved inch by inch. Now, despite the high toll fee, motorists can experience the benefits of this infrastructure through reduced congestion in coming years. The city needs more such corridors.”
To reduce travel time and decongest the Tiruchy - Madurai NH, the NHAI widened the two-lane section from Thuravankuruchi to Madurai via Natham into a four-lane highway for 61.1 km. The actual distance via the Tiruchy NH is 72 km.
Although the Natham NH has significantly cut travel time, it hasn’t reduced motorists’ use of the Madurai - Tiruchy NH and Dindigul - Samayanallur NH.
RTI data revealed that toll earnings at the Chittampatti (Melur) plaza on the Madurai - Tiruchy NH decreased by Rs 40 lakh to Rs 80 lakh during January and February before toll collection began at the Pudur toll plaza. However, earnings returned to their usual Rs 6.67 crore to Rs 6.7 crore per month in May and June, suggesting that commuters have shifted back to Madurai - Tiruchy NH. Similarly, the Kodai Road toll plaza on the Dindigul - Samayanallur NH handled between 7.2 to 7.8 lakh vehicles per month in May and June which was higher by 3 to 5%. From June 1 to 30, about 1.12 lakh vehicles crossed the Pudur toll plaza, the data added.