With the construction work reaching the final stages, the Tiruchi City Corporation plans to open the Integrated Bus Terminus at Panjapur on the Tiruchi-Madurai Highway in July. It was with the aim of shifting the Central Bus Stand from Cantonment, which has been struggling to cope with the sharp increase in the number of passengers and private and State-owned buses, the Corporation decided to build an integrated bus terminus at Panjapur and began the construction work in October 2022.
The construction of the Integrated Bus Terminus at Panjapur is being taken up at an estimate of ₹349 crore. The Corporation contributes ₹50 crore from its general fund, the grant from the State government stands at ₹140 crore and the Tamil Nadu Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (TUFIDCO) contributes ₹159 crore as a loan.
Despite the original plan to complete the construction work by December last year, only around 65% of the work has been completed. The work for laying platforms and the multiutility centre began in March 2023. Minister for Municipal Administration K.N. Nehru and Director of Municipal Administration S. Sivarasu have visited the site to expedite the work.
According to a senior official of the Corporation, phase-I of the project is 85% complete, with the completion of civil works, roof work, plastering work, and ramps. Electrical, plumbing, and woodwork are currently in progress. More than 200 skilled and semi-skilled workers are engaged at the site, and the contractors have been instructed to complete the work by June. The new Integrated Bus Terminus is likely to be inaugurated in July.
