The Paliyekkara toll plaza in Thrissur may be made barrier-free, similar to the system followed at Tambaram in Tamil Nadu. District Collector Shikha Surendran has directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to examine the possibility.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Highway Task Force chaired by the District Collector at her chamber.

The NHAI Project Director for NH 66 informed the meeting that all the issues pointed out in an earlier joint inspection report, including safety concerns, waterlogging and difficulties faced by pedestrians, had been resolved.

However, the police and Motor Vehicles Department have been directed to conduct a physical verification to confirm whether all the issues have actually been addressed.

An earlier inspection had also found that a four-kilometre stretch of NH 66 did not have streetlights. The NHAI Project Director said a proposal to install new streetlights on the stretch would be prepared and sent to the NHAI headquarters.

The Collector also directed the LSGD Executive Engineer to conduct a joint inspection with the NHAI and local self-government bodies and prepare an estimate for drainage connectivity works outside the right of way of the National Highway.

The meeting decided to form a special committee comprising officials from the police, MVD, Revenue Department and NHAI to identify suitable locations for parking large vehicles, including lorries and trucks, along the National Highway.

The NHAI said a 6,000-square-foot plot of land had already been identified near the bypass at Kodungallur for this purpose.