Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) is set to construct a multimodal facility complex at Broadway bus stand and floated a tender to assign a detailed design consultant and prepare a detailed project report for Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC)-initiated project.
CMRL officials said the complex will have bays, commercial spaces, parking facilities for government and private buses and vehicles of commuters. Earlier reports said a 21-storey building with 80 bus bays in the first phase and another 44 in the second was planned.
The building will have a shopping complex, office space, commercial establishments, hotels and dormitories. A 4.42-acre plot including a parcel of land belonging to metro rail will be used for the construction, corporation officials had earlier said.
“The multimodal hub will include a intermodal transport facility with interchanging hub for intercity and intracity buses and other facilities approved by the Greater Chennai Corporation,” said L Girirajan, CMRL spokesman.
“Notice inviting tender has been initiated for appointing detailed design consultant for detailed project report (DPR) preparation. Once the DPR is approved and an agency is fixed, the construction work will take two years,” he added.
At Broadway, MTC operates around 695 buses from the existing stand on 70 routes that do 3,872 trips a day. Buses travelling from the south and central parts of the city to the north have to pass through the terminus. Metro rail has planned a similar multimodal facility at MGR Central railway station as part of the Central Square project with facilities like bus bays, central plaza and space for commercial development.
CMRL officials said the corporation had initiated the development of the multimodal connectivity at Broadway bus stand following an order received from the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs following the announcement of the budget proposals for the 2022-23. Chennai Smart City Limited officials had earlier suggested that buses from the bus stand be parked on the road to make way for construction.
