NHAI commences road improvement work at NITK-Surathkal toll plaza of NH 66

NHAI has begun work to improve road surface at erstwhile NITK-Surathkal Toll Plaza on NH 66 following public outcry. Paver blocks are being removed to lay concrete surface for 100 m length. NHAI will also renew the plaza structure. Toll collection at Hejmady plaza is yet to be amalgamated as per Union Road Transport Ministry. State govt. has to maintain law and order for combined toll collection. NHAI is bound by concession agreement for toll collection.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) commenced work on improving the battered road surface at the erstwhile NITK-Surathkal Toll Plaza on NH 66 on Wednesday, August 2, following public outrage against the pathetic condition of the toll lanes.

The Hindu had written about the pathetic condition of the road surface in the report, ‘Road lanes inside erstwhile NIKT-Surathkal toll gate on NH 66 still in pathetic condition’ on July 24. The toll collection at the plaza came to a halt on December 1, 2022, following multiple protests by NITK-Surathkal Toll Gate Virodhi Horata Samithi and the general public opposing toll collection within the Mangaluru corporation limits.

Concrete surface

NHAI’s Mangaluru Project Implementation Unit director Abdulla Javed Azmi told The Hindu that the paver blocks forming the road surface inside the toll lanes were being removed to undertake the repairs. Once they were removed, the authority would lay the concrete road surface in the location, for about 100 m length. Vehicular movement thus becomes smooth, he said.

Toll plaza structure

Regarding the dilapidated structure of the toll plaza, Mr. Azmi said the authority would renew the plaza too. Till the toll payable at the erstwhile NITK-Surathakl toll plaza gets amalgamated at the Hejmady toll plaza as per the Union Road Transport Ministry, the structure could not be removed, he said.

There was no support from the State government to collect the combined toll of Surahtkal and Hejmady at the Hejmady plaza. It was the State government’s responsibility to maintain law and order.