TNRDC plans new toll booth on Mahabalipuram; 4-laning of road in ECR likely to be completed by Jan 2016

Chennai:

Tamil Nadu Road Development Corporation has completed nearly 20 per
cent of the work on converting the two lane stretch between Akarai to
Mamallapuram into a four lane one and plans are on to construct a toll
booth in Mhabalipuram.

The work on the stretch is likely to be completed before the deadline
of March 2016 and could even cut down road accidents besides provide
much needed relief to 30,000 passengers who take the East Coast Road.

The stretch, which currently has a toll booth in Uthandi, will also
have an additional  booth in Mahabalipuram.

A TNRDC official told Express that the work on the Rs 300 crore
project is a joint venture project by two contractors and work has
started last year despite the land being acquired in 1995.

“The cost is only Rs 300 crore as we had acquired the land in 1995.
Now it could run into thousands of crore,” he said.

Talking about the revenue from the toll booth, the official said that
on an average the collection is around Rs three to Rs five lakh. “With
the Mahabalipuram toll booth functioning, the collection could be
around Rs 10 lakh,” he said.

Interestingly, the width of the road in ECR is now 24 metres and the
official says it has the capacity to be expanded into six lane.

“Now we will also be having service lanes on both sides besides four
lanes with a central median,” he said.

The official said that this could be one of the model roads and plans
are on to have 62 bus bays besides proper drainage system so that
water doesn’t stagnate on the road.

He said tenders have been floated to remove the electricity poles near
the road besides shifting of power transformers.