Kilambakkam bus terminus in 3 months, to decongest CMBT

“The construction work for the new bus terminus is going in full swing at Kilambakkam and the facility will become functional from next year. I visited the site recently and 70 per cent of works are completed,” said Anshul Mishra, member-secretary of CMDA. He added that the remaining works would be completed in three months.

After a delay of several months, the authority commenced construction works in 2019. Soon after the works commenced, it was affected by the COVID lockdown that resulted in shortage of workers.

The new bus terminus is expected to cater to about 1.5 lakh passengers, and has parking space for 250 buses, 270 cars, and 3,500 two-wheelers. The facility, spread across an area of 44.74 acres, is being set up at an estimated cost of Rs 393.74 crore. The built-up area will be 6.40 lakh sqft. The terminus will have escalators as well as other amenities. It will also have dormitories for the bus crew and waiting hall for passengers.

Recently, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) had started operating its services for Kilambakkam. In another development, CMDA has prepared a detailed project report to construct a new bus terminus near Tirumazhisai to house buses plying to western districts. The Tirumazhisai terminus will be able to accommodate 160 government buses and 85 omnibuses at a time.

Besides these, an MTC terminus has also been proposed under the project on a land parcel extending to 7.4 acres adjacent to the new mofussil bus terminus. CMBT has only 180 active bus parking bays, 60 idle parking bays, and separate parking areas for city buses, while Madhavaram mofussil bus terminus has 42 active bus bays and 50 idle bus bays.