Paliyekara toll plaza may go barrier-free in push to ease traffic snarls

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The Paliyekara toll plaza could soon move towards a barrier-free system, with District Collector Shikha Surendran directing the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to examine the feasibility of adopting Tamil Nadu’s Tambaram model. The direction was issued at a meeting of the National Highway Task Force chaired by the Collector at her chamber, where a range of safety and infrastructure concerns along the National Highway 66 corridor were review.

The NHAI Project Director informed the meeting that the deficiencies identified in a joint inspection relating to highway safety, waterlogging and difficulties faced by pedestrians had been fully rectified. However, the Collector directed the police and Motor Vehicles department to physically verify the claims on the ground and submit a report confirming whether the corrective measures had indeed been implemented.

An earlier inspection had found a 4-km stretch of NH 66 without street lighting. The NHAI said a proposal for installing new streetlights on the stretch would be prepared and submitted to its headquarters. The meeting also turned its attention to drainage connectivity beyond the highway’s right of way. The Collector directed the Local Self-Government department executive engineer to conduct a joint inspection with the NHAI and local bodies and prepare an estimate for carrying out the required drainage connectivity works.

With large vehicles frequently occupying highway stretches, the meeting also decided to constitute a special committee comprising representatives of the police, Motor Vehicles department, Revenue department and NHAI to identify suitable parking areas for lorries and trucks. The NHAI informed the meeting that 6,000 sq ft of land had already been identified near the bypass at Kodungallur for this purpose.

Officials from the police, Motor Vehicles department, Revenue department and Local Self-Government department, along with NHAI representatives, attended the meeting. The proposed barrier-free tolling at Paliyekara is expected to be examined as part of wider efforts to improve traffic flow and address persistent safety and infrastructure concerns along the highway.

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