Leaving town

Was away from Chennai for a couple of days. Travelled out on the Chennai-Tada Highway, which is the first leg of the NH 5. The NH 5, connecting Chennai to Kolkata, is one of the highways that form the 'Golden Quadrilateral' - the project connecting Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi.

Though referred to as the Chennai - Kolkata highway, the NH5 technically ends at Balasore, Odisha. The road to Kolkata, beyond Balasore, has 2 stretches; one, as NH 60 to Kharagpur and then from Kharagpur to Kolkata as NH6.

This part of the NH5, from Chennai to Tada has been built by L&T Infrastructure, who also continue to operate and maintain it - and of course, they have to levy a toll for that! 

Relax - keep cool!

The guards manning the toll booth on NH4, just before Sriperumbudur, have nothing much around to be distracted by. So, when the kulfi-seller walks by, pushing his cycle, they jump at the chance of picking up some, to cool down in the pre-noon heat. They do seem to be enjoying themselves, don't they?

Seconds after I took this picture, a wide body truck, not judging the width of the toll lanes properly, came by and smashed into a divider - that must have got these gentlement jumping out of their reverie!