Completion of Erode Corporation’s satellite bus stand in Solar delayed further

Work to construct a satellite bus stand at Solar is nearing completion in Erode in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: M. GOVARTHAN

The completion of Erode Corporation’s satellite bus stand in Solar on Karur Road, scheduled for August last year, is delayed reportedly due to a paucity of funds. It is expected to be ready for use after April this year.

The existing Central Bus Terminal, located at the junction of Mettur Road and Sakthi Road in the city, serves over one lakh passengers daily, with 4,100 buses operating from the terminal every day. To ease congestion on city roads, a new bus stand was planned at a cost of ₹63.50 crore on 19.9 acres. The foundation was laid on August 18, 2022, with a targeted completion timeline of two years. While two-thirds of the work was completed last year, progress has slowed over the last six to eight months reportedly due to the pending release of ₹10 crore to ₹15 crore in State Government funds.

The total built-up area of the terminal is 12,247 sq.m., featuring 134 shops, 63 bus bays, parking space for 883 two-wheelers, an auto stand with space for 100 vehicles, reservation counters, toilets, hotels, a cloakroom, and other passenger amenities. Additionally, the first floor will have two restaurants, separate dormitories for men and women, and a hall for commercial use.

Works such as laying the approach road, electrical installations, and tile laying remain incomplete. Although officials had assured that the project will be completed by the end of December 2024, the work remains pending.

A senior Corporation engineer told The Hindu that efforts are on to expedite construction and expressed confidence that all works will be completed by the end of April. However, the availability of funds remains a crucial factor in determining the pace of progress, the engineer said on condition of anonymity.

Since byelections are over, the government is expected to release funds soon.

The civic body planned last December to auction the shops on the premises on January 10, 2025. However, due to the by-election for the Erode (East) Assembly constituency, the auction was postponed, and a new date is expected to be announced later this month.