Chennai
The Minister for PWD and Highways announced this decision in the ongoing assembly session. He said that since the next phase of the pending Chennai Metro Train project is underway in OMR road, the tollbooths currently functioning in the said line will henceforth be suspended from August 30.
The OMR road has four toll booths namely, Perungudi, Thoraipakkam, Kalaignar Salai, and Medavakkam. The booths will stop collecting tolls from this month-end announced the Minister.
READ MORE: 5 toll plazas near Chennai to be shut down
Further, the Minister also announced that the state government will take steps to shut down five toll plazas near Chennai including Chennasamudram, Paranur, Nemili, Vanagaram, and Soorapattu toll plazas.
Velu said the road was constructed on the condition of recovering the investment via toll. “Rajiv Gandhi Expressway has four toll plazas. Health Minister M Subramanian, South Chennai MP Thamilachi Thangapandian and Central Chennai MP Dayanidhi Maran had held a massive protest recently seeking their closure. The CM has directed me to inspect them, review toll collection, toll plaza workers’ salaries and yearly maintenance cost,” he said.
Velu said he would convey the demands of the public, workers and officials to the CM who will take the final call. DMK had sought the closure of the toll plazas on the Rajiv Gandhi Expressway and ECR citing the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules 2008 that prohibited toll plazas from being set up within a 10 km radius of the corporation limits.
To a question on the pending flyover projects on Rajiv Gandhi Salai, the minister said six flyovers were proposed on this IT Expressway aka Old Mahabalipuram Road to ease traffic congestion for which a cost estimate is also prepared. This includes an L-shaped flyover on Madhyakailash Junction.
“Previous government made several announcements on this project but failed to take it up. We will soon complete all preliminary works and invite bids. Priority will be given to the U-shaped flyover at Tidel Park-Indira Nagar junction -- which will help motorists skip the junction -- and others will be executed in a phased manner,” he said.
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