Toll plaza on Parwanoo-Solan stretch becomes functional

Tribune News Service

Solan, April 19

The state’s first toll plaza set up on the Parwanoo-Solan section of the National Highway-5 became operational today at Sanwara today.

Sources said 95 per cent of the four-laning work has been completed on the highway. Initially, four of the eight lanes have been made functional. Work is underway to complete the remaining lanes of the toll plaza at the earliest.

Udaipur-based Coral Associates has been entrusted the task to collect toll ranging from Rs 55-300 for various categories of vehicles for three months initially.

Fastag has been made compulsory so those who don’t have it will have to pay double the amount, informed an official of the National Highways Authority of India.

Commuters, who are yet to secure fastag, had to pay double the toll for using this highway today. Being the key road connecting the state’s capital of Shimla and being the gateway to Himachal Pradesh, it registers a huge rush of vehicles from various states. The four-laning has paved the way for smooth flow of traffic and this will especially benefit the commuters in the apple transport season when the movement of trucks often created traffic jams and chaos.

This section of the highway has been four-laned on the engineering procurement and construction mode. Out of 39 km, work has been completed on 37 km of the stretch and the grant of provisional completion certificate to the private company four-laning the highway, GR Infraprojects, has paved the way for the collection of toll. Its four-year maintenance period has also begun from April 13, informed GR Infraprojects project in-charge Balwinder Singh.

Work to complete the state’s first viaduct bridge on this section near Timber Trail Resorts was also in an advanced stage. This bridge was initially not planned in this project and the road was supposed to be widened towards the hill side. However, since no land was available, the valley side was chosen to widen the highway. The construction of this 160-m-long and 40-m-wide bridge was another key feature of this widened highway. A sum of Rs 19 crore is being incurred on constructing the bridge.

Apart from this, work to complete the underpass at Saproon iss underway. This will help in resolving the traffic woes of this highway at the busy Saproon Chowk.

The highway, whose four-laning had begun in September 2015, is likely to be completed in the next few months now.

Tax to range from Rs 55 to Rs 300 for different categories

• 95 per cent of the four-laning work has been completed on the highway
• Udaipur-based Coral Associates has been entrusted the task to collect toll ranging from Rs 55 to Rs 300 for various categories of vehicles for three months initially.
• Fastag has been made compulsory and those lacking it have to pay double the amount, informed an official of the National Highways Authority of India.