CHENNAI: After years of delay, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has finalised plans for a new bus terminus for south-bound buses. But it is learnt that the new bus terminus, coming up at Kilambakkam near Vandalur Zoo, has been designed without taking into account three major road projects in the locality that would change its landscape.
The CMDA itself has proposed that a 42-km elevated highway from Chennai Airport to Chengalpattu toll booth would pass right in front of the new bus terminus on GST Road. Simultaneously, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is also mulling a 30-km four or six-lane elevated stretch from Tambaram to Chengalpet that may overlap with CMDA’s proposed project. Another flyover connecting the Outer Ring Road flyover and the GST Road, close to the site of the new bus terminus, is also under consideration of the CMDA.
But reliable sources say the impact of these three major projects, which would change the landscape of the area, has not been taken into consideration when designing this new bus terminus. This might lead to unforeseen bottlenecks for movement of traffic between the bus terminus and GST Road.
It is learnt that Deputy Chief Minister O Paneerselvam is likely to review the project on Tuesday. But the blueprint of the project that may be presented to him still does not have the concurrence of the technical and steering committees that were constituted in July by the State government to oversee the project.
Besides these issues, the CMDA has started work on the bus terminus without seeking clearance from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which is the custodian of megalithic burial sites in the proposed area of 80 acres of land.
According to an amendment to the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act in January 2010, construction is banned within 100 metres of ASI-protected areas and any construction or reconstruction or repair of a building with 200 metres of such areas requires permission from the National Monument Authority.
The ASI has given a prescribed format through whichCMDA has to seek No Objection Certificate (NoC) for building the bus terminus. Currently, the ASI has been giving permissions to buildings of up to three storeys in the areas around the new bus terminus and the maximum height it permits is 10.5 metres. It remains to be seen if this massive project of the CMDA would get the clearance from the ASI.
Break-up of acreage for bus terminus
1. Site area: 80 acres
2. Space for bus terminus: 32 acres or 45 acres
3. Concourse building (connection to Urapakkam railway station): 0.293 acres
4. Commercial centre 1: 9.5 acres
5. Commercial centre 2: 3.5 acres
6. Convention centre: 6 acres
7. Public transit: 3 acres
8. Bank and health centre:
1.2 acres
9. Internal main road: 5 acres