The Metro station on the premises of Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) will be the first to be ready in the city by October, sources said.
Structural work for the station, construction of which began three years ago, was completed in December last year.
“At present, the flooring and roof work is on and escalators are also being installed. The station will have a granite floor and false ceilings,” said a Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) official.
The station, equipped with inter-modal transport facilities, is only 150 metres from the bus terminus. It will have a pedestrian pathway enabling commuters to get out and hop onto a bus.
Officials said this may be one of the busier stations in the city, as with six platforms, 180 bus bays and 4,800 buses a day, about five lakh people use CMBT daily.
“Over 90 percent of the main electrical work has been finished. The first coat of white paint has been given but the colour for the exterior has not yet been finalised,” said another official.
That apart, the laying of an approach road to connect the terminus to the station has to be completed and a small garden also has to be set up, he added.
The CMBT station is one of nine of a total of 13 elevated stations coming up in the city that will have parking.
Officials said talks are now on to decide on the location and space to be given to parking within the station’s premises.
The station will comprise three levels — ground, concourse and platform. There will also be a ramp for the disabled that will take them from the ground level to a lift.
Chennai’s Metro Rail is coming up at a cost of Rs. 14,600 crore and the first 11 km stretch from Koyambedu to St-Thomas Mount is expected to be operational by mid-2014.
