AI-generated illustrative rendering of a multi-lane free-flow toll plaza; not a photograph of the planned Janaula facility.
NHAI is moving ahead with the planned Janaula toll plaza on the Gurugram–Pataudi–Rewari highway, according to a 1 Oct 2026 report by Hindustan Times. The facility is reported to have 16 lanes and a multi-lane free-flow (MLFF) system. For drivers using the corridor, the immediate change is a new tolling point in the project pipeline—not an announced toll hike or a confirmed opening date.
Key takeaways
- Hindustan Times reported that NHAI has initiated the process for the Janaula toll plaza and that an MLFF tender has been floated.
- The planned plaza has 16 lanes, a design also reported earlier by Amar Ujala after speaking with the project director.
- MLFF is intended to let vehicles pass the tolling point without stopping at a conventional booth, but it does not mean the route will be toll-free.
- The reports used for this update do not state a final user-fee schedule or a confirmed date when toll collection will begin.
What the latest NHAI process means
The current development is a project and tender milestone. Hindustan Times, citing NHAI officials, said the authority has started the process for the Janaula plaza and that the MLFF system will be installed through another NHAI company after the tender process. The report described a gantry-based arrangement on the main carriageway, with vehicles being charged while moving through the corridor.
That distinction matters for commuters. A tender being floated is not the same as an operational toll notification. NHAI still has to complete the procurement, install and test the equipment, finish the connected highway works and issue the formal instructions that tell users when collection starts and what each vehicle category will pay.
How MLFF could change a trip
In a conventional plaza, a vehicle slows at a booth and the payment event happens at the lane. Under MLFF, the payment and vehicle-identification process is designed to happen through equipment placed over or beside the road. The practical aim is to reduce stopping and queueing at the plaza, especially for cars, buses and trucks travelling through the mainline.
For a FASTag user, the useful preparation is straightforward: keep the tag linked to the correct registration details, check that the account can be charged and retain a record of toll deductions once the new facility becomes active. These checks will not establish the toll amount; that will depend on the final user-fee notification.
Drivers can use our toll-charge calculator to compare the toll component once the route is live and the fee is published.
What it could mean for Gurugram–Rewari commuters
The Gurugram–Pataudi–Rewari highway is being developed as an alternative connection for traffic that currently uses the Delhi–Jaipur highway and nearby roads. Hindustan Times reported that officials expect a substantial share of that traffic to move to the new route after it becomes operational. That is an expectation, not a guaranteed travel-time saving: the result will depend on the opening of the remaining structures, traffic management and the toll charged.
For a regular commuter, the right comparison is not simply “old road versus new road”. It is the full trip cost and time: fuel consumed, toll paid, time lost in congestion and the reliability of the route at the hour of travel. A driver checking fuel expenditure can use the fuel cost calculator separately, then add the notified toll amount when it is available.
Fleet operators should also wait for the final vehicle-class rules before changing route sheets. A toll that is manageable for a car may have a different effect on a bus or multi-axle truck, and a faster route is only useful if the access points and operating hours match the movement plan.
What is confirmed and what is still pending
Amar Ujala reported in December 2025 that the project plan included one 16-lane toll plaza at Janaula, with the highway’s project director describing the intended cash and electronic-payment arrangement. The newer Hindustan Times report adds that NHAI’s tolling process has moved forward and that MLFF is planned. Together, the reports support the planned design, but they do not establish a final toll rate or a commissioning date.
The Government of India’s India Investment Grid also lists the Gurugram–Pataudi–Rewari corridor as a highway investment project. FuelPrice previously covered a separate NHAI MLFF development at Kukdola; readers should not assume that project’s fee or timetable applies to Janaula, although the earlier MLFF report explains why tolling technology is becoming relevant on new corridors.
What drivers should watch next
The next useful notices will be the tender award, the equipment-testing schedule, an official opening or commissioning notice, and the user-fee notification. Those documents should clarify the vehicle categories covered, the collection method, any local-user concession and the date from which the charge applies.
Until then, commuters should treat the Janaula plaza as planned infrastructure rather than a live toll point. The road-trip planner can help compare alternative routes, while the final toll notice will be the point at which a new route-cost calculation becomes reliable.
