Thursday, January 31, 2008

Toll To Be Collected On Three Highways In A. P

Hyderabad: Road-users will have to shell down toll tax for using three important State highways once these are upgraded into four-lane as proposed by the Andhra Pradesh Government under a project taken up with private investment.

The three roads identified for immediate upgradation are Hyderabad-Ramagundam Rajiv Rahadari, Narketpalli-Addanki and Pootalapattu-Naidupet highways. No toll is presently collected for using these roads, which have only two lanes. A year after coming to power, the Rajasekhara Reddy Government scrapped toll collected on 16 State highways to avoid a burden on the travelling public. However, the Government on Wednesday, announced that toll would be collected for 20 years by contractors who will implement the Rs 2,000-crore project taken up to convert the roads.

Tenders for the project will be finalised shortly before grounding works in May-June. Minister for Roads & Buildings T. Jeevan Reddy and P. Rajagopal Reddy, MD, AP Road Development Corporation, told reporters here that the toll for these three roads would be 10 per cent lower than that levied on highways managed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

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