Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway rakes in Rs 438 crore toll in just one year
The Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway collected Rs 438.28 crore in tolls within its first year. The Kanninike-Seshagirihalli and Ganangur toll plazas contributed significantly. Despite protests, toll rates were revised three times. The project is recovering its construction costs, with full recovery expected in the coming years.
FollowThe Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway has generated an impressive Rs 438.28 crore in toll collections within its first year, despite passenger complaints about a lack of basic amenities. The toll fees collected at two key toll plazas along the expressway, Kanninike-Seshagirihalli and Ganangur, have contributed significantly to this figure. The Kanninike-Seshagirihalli toll plaza alone accounted for Rs 278.91 crore, while Ganangur collected Rs 159.37 crore, making the expressway a major toll collection platform in a short period.
According to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, 10 per cent of the total cost of building the expressway has already been recouped through these toll fees. The expressway, stretching 119 kilometres, cost the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Rs 4,473 crore to construct (excluding land acquisition). With the first 18 months of toll collection, a total of 10 per cent of the construction cost has already been recovered, and experts suggest that the full cost could be recovered in the coming years.
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There have been several hurdles related to toll collection on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway, including protests from political parties and various organizations. These groups raised concerns over the toll charges before the service roads were fully completed. Despite this, the toll fees have been revised three times since collection began.
The first revision took place on July 1, 2023, following an increase in toll rates from April 1, 2023. Another revision occurred after the Lok Sabha elections. The toll fees at the Seshagirihalli-Kanninike toll plaza currently range from Rs 170 to Rs 1,100, while at the Ganangur toll plaza, it varies from Rs 160 to Rs 1,030.
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Toll collection on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway began on a full scale on July 1, 2023. In the financial year 2023-24, the expressway saw a total of Rs 270.96 crore in toll collections, and Rs 167.32 crore was collected in the year 2024-25. With four months left in the current financial year, further increases in toll revenue are expected.
Road construction costs and recovery
The first phase of the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway, which stretches from Bengaluru to Nidaghatta, was completed in December 2022. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first phase on March 12, 2023. Toll collection began shortly after, with the Kanninike toll plaza charging drivers travelling from Bengaluru to Mysuru and the Seshagirihalli plaza charging those travelling in the opposite direction. By July 1, 2023, toll collection also started at the Ganangur toll plaza in Srirangapatna Taluk of Mandya district, further boosting revenue.
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