Construction work under way at the integrated bus terminal in Panjappur in Tiruchi on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: M. MOORTHY
Tiruchi Corporation has expedited the construction works of the integrated bus terminus (IBT) and the Truck Terminal project at Panjappur on Tiruchi-Madurai highway so as to complete them by December.
It was with the aim of shifting the existing Central Bus Stand at Cantonment, which struggles to cope with the sharp increase in the number of passengers and private and State-owned buses, the Corporation decided to construct a new integrated bus terminus at Panjappur.. The State government allotted ₹349 crore for the project. It included ₹140 crore as a grant from the State government, ₹50 crore from the Corporation general fund, and ₹159 crore loan from Tamil Nadu Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (TUFIDCO). The Corporation began the construction works in October 2022.
The construction works have gained momentum since the withdrawal of the northeast monsoon in December. More than 300 workers have been engaged in the work.
A Corporation official said the foundation works and construction of columns had been completed. Works for laying platforms and the multi-utility centre, which would house small commercial-purpose shops, restaurants, offices, and a mini hall, had commenced recently
Mayor M. Anbazhagan told The Hindu that nearly 25% of the works were completed in phase-I. Considering the need to decongest the city traffic, the civic body had taken steps to expedite the construction works so as to complete the phase-I project by the end of the year. The remaining components of the integrated project would be completed in a phased manner. The ongoing projects at Panjappur included the construction of an integrated bus terminus, a multi-utility facilities centre, a whole market complex, and a truck terminal on nearly 80 acres of land.
