Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Friday laid the foundation stone for a new mofussil bus terminus at Kilambakkam, near Vandalur, on GST Road.
The cost of the terminus, with a built-up area of 6.4 lakh sq.ft, is estimated at ₹394 crore. It is expected to be ready in 18 months and will ease traffic congestion at Koyambedu by catering to passengers in the southern districts.
The size of land earmarked for the purpose is 88.52 acres. It will accommodate 550 buses and have parking space for 275 cars and 3,582 motorcycles. The facility would also have ample green spaces.
“The bus terminus campus and buildings have been designed with an emphasis on passenger comfort and convenience. There are public spaces with various retail and food outlets. The building is a blend of modernity with traditional motifs. Sustainability and energy efficiency have been built into various aspects of the design,” said C.R. Arvind, director, C.R. Narayana Rao (Consultants) Private Limited, the design and engineering consultants for the project.
The company had also designed the upcoming Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. (CMRL) headquarters in Nandanam and other city landmarks like Tidel Park, Anna Centenary Library, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and SDAT Indoor Stadium.
The terminus would have a public lobby, 49 shops, two restaurants, 20 ticket counters, three transport offices, three time offices, a medical centre, a clinic, a mothers’ room, ATM, two store rooms, a cloak room, a security / CCTV room, six electrical rooms, a control room and four toilet blocks.
Bus bays
Mofussil bus bays have been designed in a space of 14 acres to accommodate 130 government buses and 85 omni buses, offering connectivity to cities and towns in the southern parts of the State.
An MTC bus terminus has also been planned in a space measuring 7.4 acres adjacent to GST Road, with a platform 1,100 metres long and four metres wide, covered with roofing eight metres wide.
The design would also include interconnection of platforms with a six metre-wide walkway and escalators. A space of two acres has also been earmarked for a bus depot with a workshop.
Storm water drains and kerbs have also been planned along the roads.
Land measuring 90 acres was given by Kasturi Estates in the 1960s under the provisions of the Land Reforms Act.
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