The Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC) has begun dismantling the remnants of it’s now-defunct toll plazas on Rajiv Gandhi Salai, also known as OMR. The booths had been left unused since August last when the State government to keep one of its poll promises, had shut down four of the five plazas collecting toll on Rajiv Gandhi Salai.
The steel and glass structures from plazas at Perungudi, Thoraipakkam, on Medavakkam – Sholinganallur Road and on ECR- OMR Link Road have been removed and are being auctioned off. “We had removed the computers, scanners and other items after the government announcement. People were also asking if toll collection would be resumed since the plazas remained. So we decided to remove them once and for all,” said an official source in TNRDC.
The booths had become an eyesore in some places. People were pasting posters and sometimes strangerswere getting into them. The plants, islands and girders would remain. The road surface inside the lanes of the plazas would be re-laid. However, the removal of toll plazas had led to the reduction of revenue. Toll collection is happening at only one plaza in Navalur.
Meanwhile, residents have been asking about the possibility of construction of flyovers at junctions including Sholinganallur, Thoraipakkam, MGR Salai junction, SRP Tools and Navalur to reduce congestion. “Its been nearly 13 years since the flyovers were first announced. Last year in June, the Highways Minister, E.V. Velu, had announced that the flyovers would be constructed on OMR. Vehicles get piled up during rush hours at these junctions,” said G. Krishnan, a resident of Thoraipakkam. Commencement of work by Chennai Metro Rail had also led to traffic slowing down considerably from SRP Tools signal to near Indira Nagar signal. “The road surface at some points is also poor and needs repair,” said K. Manohar, another resident.
