The toll plaza at Chandimandir,the gateway to the Pinjore-Parwanoo bypass,opened at the stroke of midnight but early morning commuters were greeted by long queues at the plaza on Friday. After the initial hurdle,however,it was a smooth ride as the bypass provided a respite from traffic snarls that were common on the stretch. With the toll plaza having opened at midnight,as many as 12,500 vehicles had crossed over from then till 6 am on Friday. There were long queues of vehicles on both sides of the toll plaza in the morning. Officials stated that with Friday being the first day and with attendants as well as security staff being new,there were initial glitches but added that they would be taken care of soon. The lane system also caused confusion with trucks,buses and cars all entering the same lane. Another problem,the officials say they faced,was the number of VIPs who crossed the toll plaza. Government officials from various departments who crossed the plaza,reportedly threatened to send notices to the concessionaire and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for charging toll from them. An official stated that the officers despite being in their personal vehicles were refusing to pay toll. On the other hand,the road ahead is quite smooth with a view of the hills. The construction of the bypass,a stretch of around 10.15 kilometres,was completed in two and a half years after several deadlines were missed and major construction hurdles were encountered. The bypass enables commuters to skip Pinjore,Kalka and Parwanoo. It is dotted with bridges along the way and having been constructed by cutting through a hill,portions along the side have been covered with a net to prevent rocks from falling on motorists. Project Director of the National Highway Authority of India,Anil Dahiya said the glitches at the toll plaza would be completely removed in a week. With the system being new,there are some teething problems that would be taken care of. The bridges made on the bypass are over valleys. Pillars some 32 to 40 feet in length were used, he said. With the opening of the bypass,there is some relief on the Pinjore-Kalka road as well. Driving on the narrow road passing through the market in Kalka was a nightmare for the commuters on the stretch with traffic jams prolonging for hours.
