Kazhakoottam-Mukkola: NHAI to begin toll collection in April

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: If things go as planned, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) will begin toll collection on the Kazhakoottam-Mukkola stretch by next month. NHAI is gearing up to begin construction of a temporary toll collection centre by next week at the proposed location between Thiruvallam and Vellar.
A notification approving the proposed rates for various vehicles are expected to be issued in a week. Once toll collection begins, Kazhakoottam-Mukkola will be the only stretch in city where toll will be applicable.
The toll collection at Akkulam on the Kazhakoottam-Kovalam stretch was stopped in September 2016 following NHAI’s decision to widen the stretch as part of the new Kazhakoottam-Karode NH stretch.
Sources said the temporary toll collection centre will be constructed as NHAI could not afford the loss of revenue till the time a permanent toll plaza is constructed. The construction of a staggered toll plaza would take around 2-3 months.
As more and more toll plazas are switching to online collection of tolls with the implementation of FASTag, the temporary toll centres of NHAI will have handheld devices for toll payment of vehicles with FASTag stickers.
The total cost of Kazhakoottam-Mukkola NH widening is Rs 845.24 crore with construction alone pegged at Rs 669.06 crore. Though the NHAI initially planned to launch it as a build operate transfer project (BOT), contractors were reluctant to take up the work due to the opposition to tolls in the state. Finally, NHAI had to call for tender after changing it into engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract where the contractor will be given the cost of construction as lumpsum grant. Under EPC, toll collection is the responsibility of the NHAI.
The NHAI had planned to a construct toll plaza at Akkulam, where a toll collection for the Akkulam bridge had existed. The then district collector Biju Prabhakar had asked NHAI to shift the location so as to avoid toll burden on city commuters. Following the intervention of state government, NHAI assigned National Transport Planning and Research Centre (Natpac) to suggest possible locations. The Natpac checked possible spaces in Chackai, Kuzhivila and the location between Thiruvallam and Vellar. Considering the 54-metre-wide space for construction of plaza and traffic, the location between Thiruvallam and Vellar was suggested as the better option. The Natpac had, however, mention about the possibility of motorists taking Thiruvallam-Pachalloor-Vazhamuttam road to skip the toll.
As per the design, NHAI will construct staggered toll plaza in the stretch. It will have overhead rooms as office spaces.
With the opening of Chackai flyover for two-way traffic, major works of the 26.5-km Kazhakoottam-Mukkola national highway widening project has been completed.