CHENNAI: Marking a first for Tamil Nadu, the toll fee for vehicles plying on the Chennai-Tada National Highway is set to be slashed by 14-15% at the Nallur toll plaza. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has proposed transferring a 10-km stretch of the Chennai-Kolkata NH 16 from Madhavaram Junction to Padiyanallur to the state highways, making it a toll-free section.
Once approved by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH), the total tolled road length of the highway will come down from 54.5km to 44.5km. This change will cut the Rs 80 toll fee for cars and jeeps by Rs 15, bringing it down to Rs 65. Fee for light motor vehicles (LMVs) and minibuses will be reduced by Rs 20, lowering it from Rs 125 to Rs 105. Similarly, trucks and buses will see a Rs 45 reduction, cutting the toll fee down from Rs 265 to Rs 220.
This will be the first section of an NH in the state proposed to be removed from the tolled network due to vehicular congestion.
‘Road stretch no longer meets criteria for maintenance by NHAI’
Unlike the remaining 33-km stretch from Nallur to the Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh border, which has been widened into a six-lane highway, the 10-km section from Madhavaram to Nallur could not be expanded due to challenges with land acquisition, encroachments and resistance from local residents since 2010. The move is also expected to result in the dropping of the proposed elevated corridor project linking Madhavaram Junction to the Outer Ring Road at Nallur on NH 16.
NHAI’s decision has been attributed to encroachments, severe congestion on this stretch and its heavy use by local residents on either side of the highway. “Our detailed study reveals that only a miniscule percentage of vehicles travelling on the NH from Madhavaram to Padiyanallur use the toll plaza. Over 80% of them are locals commuting across the 10-km stretch, leading to frequent traffic congestion during peak hours. As a result, this road no longer meets the criteria for maintenance under the NHAI,” a senior official from NHAI said.
NHAI has submitted a proposal in this regard to MORTH. “Once approved by the ministry, the road will be transferred to the state government, and the 10-km stretch will be excluded from toll fee calculations,” the official explained.
According to vehicle users, the 10-km section contains 11 major and minor junctions. Local vehicles, including trucks, enter the NH from both sides every 500m, forcing the traffic on the NH carriageway to move at a snail’s pace during peak hours. It takes nearly 60 to 95 minutes to traverse the stretch, they said.
Sources told TNIE that the stormwater drainage system has been blocked in multiple locations due to encroachments, resulting in the condition of the highway deteriorating. Additionally, on weekends and festival days, visitors to the Kavangarai Fish Market near Puzhal park their vehicles on the carriageway, causing heavy vehicular congestion. Despite best efforts, this issue remains unresolved.
However, S Suresh Babu, an activist and advocate from Billakuppam village near Gummidipoondi, opposed NHAI’s proposal, stating that only the construction of an elevated corridor from Madhavaram to Nallur can effectively reduce congestion. The actual distance from Madhavaram Junction to the TN-AP border on NH 16 is 42.5km. However, an additional 12.5km is included in the toll fee calculation due to the construction of minor and major bridges, which collectively span 1.25km.