New location mooted for NH bypass toll plaza.

The National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (Natpac) has recommended the relocation of the toll plaza at Akkulam for the widening of the Kazhakuttam-Karode NH-66 bypass. The stretch is being widened by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) into a 45-metre carriageway.

The location proposed by NHAI and where toll is now being collected by the PWD for the Akkulam bridge “may witness severe traffic problems due to a proposed shopping mall and there is a need to shift the toll plaza to a suitable new location,” Natpac said in its report submitted to the PWD Secretary on Thursday.

The location along the bypass corridor between Venpalavattam and the Chakka railway overbridge is ideal for shifting the toll plaza in view of its “locational advantages, geometric features, low possibility of traffic diversion and minimal loss of toll chargeable traffic,” the report, a copy of which is with The Hindu , says. Natpac was tasked by the PWD to identify three locations to shift the toll plaza following a letter from District Collector Biju Prabhakar to Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson, pointing out the flaws in the current location, including the traffic problems that are likely to come up.

A team led by Natpac Director B.G. Sreedevi carried out detailed inspection of the toll gate and the bypass corridor on November 16 and identified three sites. The shopping mall-cum-hotel-cum-convention centre is coming up opposite the existing toll plaza on the western side of bypass in 7.85 hectares with a built-up area of 2.07 lakh sq m. It was pointed out that further acquisition of land to revamp the toll plaza here would be difficult. Vehicles reaching the mall will cause conflicting movements with traffic plying along bypass (32,000 PCU), creating traffic problems.

Another location identified was Kuzhivila, 5 km from Kazhakuttam Junction and 400 metres before the Akkulam bridge. Natpac says the location is suitable from the traffic point of view but is not ideal while considering the geometry as well as terrain conditions. The third shortlisted location was between Thiruvallam and Vazhamuttam, 1.2 km from Thiruvallam Junction. However, that Natpac report says that the tollable traffic along this stretch is relatively less than the tollable traffic at Akkulam. 'There is a great possibility of diversion of traffic through Thiruvallam-Pachalloor-Vazhamuttam road which is almost parallel to the NH bypass to avoid toll payment.'

Most of the public stage carriers operating between East Fort and Kovalam are passing through the parallel road, Natpac has said. Once the government decides to relocate the toll plaza, it will need the approval of the MORTH as the DPR for bypass work had been approved.

THE HINDU