170 km · 4 toll plazas · about 3 h on the road. Change the vehicle, fuel or mileage below and every number updates.
Madurai to Thanjavur is a comfortable one-day drive of 170 km, mostly on Melur - Tiruppattur - Karaikudi New Highway and NH36.
You cross 4 toll plazas. For a car the published fees add up to ₹295 one way, about ₹1.73 per km, which is on the expensive side for Indian highways.
Thanjavur draws heavy pilgrim traffic on weekends and festival days; leave early to avoid queues at the plazas and in town.
Fees for a single journey with FASTag. Return fees apply when you come back through the same plaza within 24 hours; a monthly pass covers 50 single journeys in a month.
| # | Toll plaza | At km | State | Car single | Car return | Car monthly | LCV | Bus/Truck | Multi-axle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chittampatti | 17 | Tamil Nadu | ₹110 | ₹165 | ₹3,660 | ₹175 | ₹370 | ₹585 |
| 2 | Shenbagampettai | 70 | Tamil Nadu | ₹85 | ₹125 | ₹2,775 | ₹135 | ₹280 | ₹440 |
| 3 | Lembalakudi | 94 | Tamil Nadu | ₹45 | ₹65 | ₹1,430 | ₹70 | ₹145 | ₹230 |
| 4 | Palaya Gandharvakottai | 147 | Tamil Nadu | ₹55 | ₹80 | ₹1,820 | ₹90 | ₹185 | ₹290 |
| Total (published fees) | 170 | ₹295 | ₹435 | ₹470 | ₹980 | ₹1,545 |
Totals for all 4 plazas. “No FASTag” is the 1.25x UPI rate.
| Vehicle class | One way (FASTag) | Return in 24 h | No FASTag (UPI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car / Jeep / Van | ₹295 | ₹435 | ₹369 |
| LCV / Mini bus | ₹470 | ₹700 | ₹589 |
| Bus / Truck (2 axle) | ₹980 | ₹1,480 | ₹1,225 |
| 3-axle commercial | ₹1,070 | ₹1,615 | ₹1,337 |
| 4–6 axle (MAV) | ₹1,545 | ₹2,315 | ₹1,932 |
| 7+ axle (oversized) | ₹1,880 | ₹2,815 | ₹2,351 |
One way, 170 km, at Tamil Nadu prices (petrol ₹108.78/L, diesel ₹100.59/L). Typical highway mileage; change it in the calculator for your car.
| Car type | Petrol | Diesel | CNG | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hatchback | ₹1,029 | ₹779 | ₹652 | ₹426 |
| Sedan | ₹1,235 | ₹902 | ₹770 | ₹487 |
| SUV / MUV | ₹1,684 | ₹1,224 | ₹997 | ₹619 |
For the same sedan, fuel for one way costs ₹1,235 on petrol, ₹902 on diesel and about ₹487 on electric (public fast charging at ₹20/kWh; home charging is far cheaper).
The pass costs ₹3,075 for 200 crossings (₹15.38 per crossing) on NHAI plazas. This trip uses 4 crossings one way — worth about ₹62 of pass value against ₹295 in regular fees. If you drive highways often, the pass pays off on this route.
Return within 24 hours and the car toll for the round trip is ₹435 instead of ₹590 — a 26% discount that FASTag applies automatically.
About ₹295 one way with FASTag across 4 plazas. A return within 24 hours costs ₹435. Without FASTag you pay 1.25x by UPI: ₹369.
4 on the fastest route: Chittampatti, Shenbagampettai, Lembalakudi, Palaya Gandharvakottai.
About 11 litres for a car doing 15 km/l (₹1,235 at Madurai prices). A hatchback at 18 km/l needs ~9 L; an SUV at 11 km/l needs ~15 L.
Around ₹1,530 one way for a petrol sedan (fuel ₹1,235 + toll ₹295), or ₹2,905 for a same-day return. Split between four people that is ₹383 each, one way.
Plan on about 3 h including short breaks. Free-flowing traffic can do it in 2 h 17 min, but towns, trucks and plaza queues usually add time.
One way with FASTag: bus/2-axle truck ₹980, 3-axle ₹1,070, 4–6 axle ₹1,545, 7+ axle ₹1,880.
Yes, plazas charge the same fee in both directions, so the Thanjavur to Madurai toll is the same ~₹295 for a car. Fuel cost differs only if you fill up at Thanjavur's state price.
Fees are revised every 1 April and some plazas change mid-year, so treat results as a close estimate. Spotted a wrong fee or a missing plaza? Tell us — we fix reported errors within 72 hours and log them on our corrections page.
Built and maintained by Nikhil Shrivastava. Full method: how the calculator works.
Last updated: 24 October 2026