CHENNAI: The proposed Rs 35-crore redevelopment of Thiruvanmiyur bus terminus in south Chennai has run into a regulatory roadblock, with the Tamil Nadu State Highways Authority flagging a direct conflict between the project’s footprint and the alignment of a planned elevated road corridor.
According to sources from the state highways department, key elements of the proposed bus stand and depot redevelopment would overlap with the alignment of a Rs 2,100-crore elevated corridor project being implemented under the public-private partnership (hybrid annuity) model.
The corridor has a three-year construction period followed by five years of operation and maintenance, and bids have been invited, sources said.
The Thiruvanmiyur redevelopment — planned over 1.66 acres — envisages a three-storey bus terminus with a built-up area of about 6,000 sq metres, attached to the existing depot. The design includes 13 bus bays, capacity to handle nearly 70 buses at a time, separate passenger boarding and alighting zones, ticket counters, waiting halls, crew rest rooms, medical facilities and shops, along with a separate two-storey commercial block.
However, the highways authority said a detailed examination of the layout approved by the CMDA showed that structural elements such as ramps, platforms, parking areas and the depot layout fall within the elevated corridor’s approved alignment.
The authorities warned that the bus stand redevelopment could trigger future redesigns, land acquisition complications and cost escalation for both projects. It also cautioned that uncoordinated development at a high-density transit hub like Thiruvanmiyur could disrupt long-term mobility planning. The elevated corridor is described as a critical piece of regional mobility infrastructure, aimed at easing congestion and supporting an integrated, multimodal transport strategy for the Chennai metropolitan area.
The highways authority has recommended that the CMDA withhold further processing or approval of the bus stand redevelopment until a joint technical review is carried out. It has also called for a coordination meeting involving the highways department, CMDA, the CUMTA, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation and other stakeholders to explore alternative design options that do not impinge on the elevated corridor’s footprint.
Until such coordination is completed, officials indicated that the Thiruvanmiyur bus terminus project is unlikely to move forward.