Toll road opens in Tamil Nadu, India

Date: 30/7/2012

The Salem to Ulundurpet road in Tamil Nadu has been completed and drivers wishing to use it are to be charged a toll.

Built by Reliance Infrastructure Ltd, the company will receive the money from the toll charge for the next 25 years.

Under the build, operate, transfer model it will then be handed over to the National Highways Authority of India, which will then be able to collect any charges from those using it.

The 136 kilometre road will cut travelling time between the two locations by an hour and a half, according to the company which built it, and a journey which previously took around three and a half hours travelling at 35 kilometres per hour, should now only take around two hours.

As part of the construction process, three ten-lane toll plazas were erected in order to collect the fee, but also to act as control rooms should an accident occur.

Cars will be charged 37 rupees (42 pence) for a single journey and 56 rupees for multiple journeys, while a light commercial vehicle will pay 65 rupees and 97 rupees respectively.

Buses and trucks will be charged at a rate of 130 rupees for one journey and 195 rupees to carry out several and multi-axle vehicles must pay 209 rupees or 313 rupees to take more journeys.

Discounted toll prices will be available for those who wish to purchase monthly passes in order to use the road frequently.

Reliance Infrastructure has so far carried out five road projects in the province of Tamil Nadu and is in the process of developing two rail projects in Mumbai.

It also operates the airport metro express in Delhi as well as having responsibility for five airports and is undertaking to build two cement plants.

Posted by Nick Anderson

International Transport News and Sustainable Transport News