Outer Ring Road to have closed toll system

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The proposed 80km-Outer Ring Road (ORR) from Vizhinjam to Parippally, to be built at a cost of Rs 4,868 crore, will have a loop road to Mangalapuram, limited entry and exit points and provisions for closed tolling. (Under the closed toll system, toll would be collected from commuters based on the distance they travel.)
Modelled on the system adopted at the Eastern Peripheral Expressway, which passes through Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, the toll collection points on the ORR would be set up outside the main carriageway to avoid traffic congestion.
The toll amount would be worked out considering the revenue recovery period with respect to the economic viability for the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), which is investing the civil cost as well as 50% cost of land acquisition.
Boundary walls or fencing will be done along the right of way to control access, prevent encroachment and to demarcate the road.
Vehicular underpasses will be built as per the guidelines of the Bharatmala Pariyojana, the Union government’s umbrella program for the highways sector.
Light vehicle underpasses will be provided on village roads which are wider than 22 feet.
According to a recent order issued by the state government giving in-principal approval to the project, “the proposed road would be developed to four-lane initially (expandable to six lanes) with provision of 10m wide service road on either side and 70m right of way subject to the availability of land. The median would be designed such that there is provision for inward expansion for future widening”.
In the first phase, the ORR will have access through two-lane service roads starting from Vizhinjam Bypass and ends at Parippally with a loop road from Vengode to Mangalapuram.
The road is designed to handle about 65,000 passenger car units (PCVs) per day and can be widened in future to operate traffic volume of 97,500 PCVs per day.
The civil cost of the project is Rs 2,039 crore and the cost of land acquisition and dismantling structures has been estimated to touch Rs 2,829 crore. The state will have to bear 50% of land acquisition cost amounting to Rs 1,414.5 crore.