T Nagar Bus Terminus to Get ₹254-Crore Modern Makeover

The T Nagar bus terminus, an important junction with bad infrastructure, is all set for an overhaul at the cost of 254 crores. The site stretches over 1.97 acres, where soon a five-storey commercial complex being built by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) will coexist with a major transit hub on the ground floor.

Currently serving 60 buses with over 300 daily trips to destinations like Broadway and Tambaram, the terminus suffers from inadequate bus bays, poor passenger seating, and locked facilities for women and mothers. CMDA’s new plan promises a significant upgrade with 75 bus bays laid out in a zig-zag pattern to ease traffic, nine parking rows, and a revamped ground floor with ATMs, ticket counters, a 5,500-sqft waiting area, a mothers’ room, café corner, restaurant, and drinking water points.

The mezzanine floor will feature dormitories, a clinic, and a pharmacy. Upper floors will house 83,765 sqft of retail outlets, 18,471 sqft of F&B spaces, 93 hotel rooms, a 7,868-sqft library, co-working spaces, and direct access to the T Nagar skywalk.

To facilitate smooth traffic flow, CMDA plans to shift the Usman Road entry 50 metres ahead, eliminating dangerous U-turns by deluxe buses. It also plans a four-foot elevation of the bus stand to avoid flooding.

The project was initiated after a detailed feasibility report by the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC). In a land-swap deal, CMDA offered MTC five alternate land parcels worth ₹125 crore across Seemapuram, Athanthangal, Morai, Varadarajapuram, and Kuthambakkam, in exchange for the T Nagar land, valued at ₹235 crore.

MTC Managing Director T Prabhushankar noted that full commercial occupancy could generate rental revenue in crores every month. With both transport and commercial needs integrated, the project aims to transform the ageing terminus into a modern urban mobility and retail hub.