Drivers crisscrossing the Tambaram to Tindivanam corridor on National Highway 45 will no longer grind their gears to a halt at Paranur. Starting October 1, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has switched this specific plaza to a fully automated, barrier-free mode. It’s a first for Tamil Nadu, marking a sharp departure from the stop-and-go routine that has defined highway travel in the state for years.
The mechanism is straightforward but tech-heavy. As a vehicle rolls through the tolling zone, overhead sensors read the FASTag while Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras snap the registration details. No human intervention, no ticket, no queue. The system processes the fee instantly in the background. For the 46.5-km stretch between Tambaram and Tindivanam, this means smoother traffic and, according to NHAI, a measurable drop in vehicle emissions caused by idling engines.
What happens if your tag is dead or your balance is low? You won’t see a barrier drop. Instead, NHAI will issue an electronic notice. This is a subtle but significant shift in enforcement. The agency has already rolled out this Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) technology in Gujarat, Delhi, Haryana, and Rajasthan, with the country’s very first such plaza operating on NH48 near Surat since May this year. Now, the network is expanding south.
Tamil Nadu isn’t standing still. While Paranur is the pioneer, projects for barrier-free tolling have already been awarded for other locations in the state, alongside expansions in Andhra Pradesh. The immediate impact is efficiency, but the long-term goal is a seamless national highway network where payment happens invisibly. For now, if you’re heading toward Chengalpattu, keep your FASTag active and your balance topped up. The barriers are gone, but the billing is very much real.