The Central Square is a city square and major intersection in Chennai. Areas surrounding the Ripon Building, Victoria Public Hall, Moore Market Complex, Chennai Central Railway Station, the Southern Railway Headquarters and the Government General Hospital are being developed as part of the Central Square. The total site area is estimated to be about 37,800 square meters (7.8 acres), and the development is estimated to cost about ₹4 billion (US$48 million) and will be funded by the CMDA. [1] [2]
The square will have a multi-storied parking lot in its basement, which will also form the foundation of the complex. The 3-storied parking lot will have the capacity to accommodate 1000 cars. [3] The total area of the square will be 154,950 sq meters. A 135-meter-tall, 27-storey building will mark the center of the square. [4] [5] The Central Square is deemed to ease congestion along the Poonamallee High Road and integrate several modes of transportation in the city. Construction began in April 2019. [3] [6] In addition to underground passages and subways connecting people to Ripon Buildings, Park railway station, Park Town railway station, Chennai Central Railway Station, Moore Market Complex building, and the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, [7] the intersection will have bus bays, auto stands, and taxi drop-off points to facilitate seamless travel from one mode of transport to another. [3]
There are about 21 structures that are of historical importance in the Central Square area. [8]
A Metro Rail museum showcasing the process that went into the construction of the city's Metro is being commissioned in Raja Sir Savalai Ramaswamy Mudaliar Choultry, a heritage building opposite the Chennai Central railway station. [9]
As of March 2020, fountains and beautification works were expected to be complete in three months and an underground parking and two pedestrian subways (renovation of the existing subway and construction of a new subway connecting Central Metro station) were expected to be complete in a year's time. The underground parking lot at the Chennai Park suburban railway station will have a capacity to accommodate more than 800 cars. Two more subways are under construction, one linking the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital with Chennai Central and the other linking Evening Bazaar Road with Chennai Central. [10]
Central Square was inaugurated by Chief Minister M. K. Stalin on 30 March 2022. [11]
The Chennai Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Chennai, India. Operated by Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) – a joint venture between the Government of India and the Government of Tamil Nadu, the network consists of two lines and spans 54.1 km (33.6 mi). The system uses standard gauge and has 41 underground and elevated stations.
Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) is a centre-state joint venture that built and operates the Chennai Metro. It was established in 2007 and is headquartered in Chennai. CMRL is also involved in the planning and implementation of other metro rail and monorail projects in Tamil Nadu.
NLC IndiaAirport Metro is an elevated southern terminal metro station on the North-South Corridor of the Blue Line of Chennai Metro in Chennai, India. This station serves the Chennai International Airport and the neighbourhoods of Meenambakkam, Tirusulam, Pallavaram, Pammal, Kundrathur and Tambaram. The station is the only elevated airport metro station in India. The other airport metro stations in the country such as those in Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai and the proposed ones at Bangalore and Hyderabad are underground. The station enables rapid transit connectivity with the airport, making Chennai the second city in India after Delhi to achieve this.
St. Thomas Mount railway station, locally known as Mount railway station or Parangimalai station, is one of the railway stations of the Chennai Beach–Chengalpattu section of the Chennai Suburban Railway Network. It serves the neighbourhood of St. Thomas Mount and Pazhavanthangal, which are suburbs of Chennai. It is located at a distance of 17 km (11 mi) from Chennai Beach terminus, with an elevation of 11 m (36 ft) above sea level.
Vadapalani is an elevated metro station on the South-East Corridor of the Green Line of Chennai Metro in Chennai, India. This station serves the neighbourhoods of Vadapalani and Kodambakkam and is one of the major stations on the Koyambedu-Alandur stretch and became operational by early 2015.
Meenambakkam is an elevated metro station on the North-South Corridor of the Blue Line of Chennai Metro in Chennai, India. This station serves the neighbourhoods of Meenambakkam and Tirusulam.
The Blue Line is one of the two operational lines of Chennai Metro apart from the Green line. The line stretches from Chennai Airport to Wimco Nagar Depot, covering a distance of 32.65 km (20.29 mi). The line consists of 26 stations out of which 13 stations are underground and the rest are elevated or on ground level. In May 2018, operations on the blue line commenced between Saidapet and AG-DMS with the extended underground stretch from AG-DMS to Washermanpet of blue line commencing operations on 10 February 2019 completing the phase 1 of the metro.
The Green Line is one of the two operational lines of Chennai Metro apart from the Blue line. The line stretches from Chennai Central to St. Thomas Mount, covering a distance of 22 km (14 mi). The line consists of 17 stations out of which nine stations are underground and the rest are elevated or on ground level.
Coimbatore Metro, also known as Kovai Metro, is a proposed rapid transit system for Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
Nehru Park is an urban public park in Egmore, Chennai, India. It is located on Poonamallee High Road. The park covers an area of 1.73 acres. It was one of the two parks in the city taken over for the construction of underground stations of Chennai Metro, the other one being the Thiru Vi Ka Park. The park is scheduled to be reopened to public in March 2018.
AG – DMS is an underground metro station on the North-South Corridor of the Blue Line of Chennai Metro in Chennai, India. This station serves the neighbourhoods of Teynampet and T. Nagar.
Saidapet is an underground metro station on the North-South Corridor of the Blue Line of Chennai Metro in Chennai, India. This station serves the neighbourhood of Saidapet. The station has a length of 230 to 250 meters. The station was opened for public on 25 May 2018.
Lighthouse Metro station is a Metro railway station under construction in phase II of the Chennai Metro. The station is one among the 30 stations along Line 4 of the Chennai Metro and one of the 12 underground stations in that corridor. It is the terminal station for the stretch between Lighthouse and Poonamallee Bypass. The station will serve the neighbourhoods of Triplicane, Mylapore, and Santhome.
Chennai Central Metro, officially known as Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central metro station, is an underground metro station on the North-South Corridor of the Blue Line and Green Line of Chennai Metro in Chennai, India. Central metro station is spread over an area of 30,000 square metres (320,000 sq ft). On 31 July 2020, It has been named by Government of Tamil Nadu as Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Metro to honor the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam founder and the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M. G. Ramachandran.
The Purple Line or Line 3 is one of the planned lines of Chennai Metro. It is part of the second phase of the project and the under construction line stretches from Madhavaram Milk Colony to Siruseri SIPCOT. The 45.4 km (28.2 mi) long line will consist of 47 stations, out of which 28 will be underground and 19 will be at grade or elevated.
The Orange Line or Line 4 is one of the planned lines of Chennai Metro. It is part of the second phase of the project and the under construction line stretches from Lighthouse to Poonamallee Bypass. The line will consist of 27 stations, out of which nine will be underground and 18 will be at grade or elevated.
Royapettah metro station is a metro railway station on the Purple Line of the Chennai Metro. The station is among the underground stations along corridor III of the Chennai Metro, Madhavaram Milk Colony–Siruseri Sipcot 2 stretch. The station serves the neighbourhoods of Royapettah, Triplicane, and Gopalapuram.
Wimco Nagar Depot Metro station is a Metro railway station on Line 1 Extension of the Chennai Metro. The station is one of the 10 stations in the Phase I northern extension and one of the 26 stations along the Blue Line of the Chennai Metro. The station will serve the neighbourhoods of Ernavur and other northern suburbs of Chennai. This station was inaugurated along with Thiruvottriyur Theradi Metro Station on 14 March 2022.
Thirumayilai metro station is a Metro railway station on the Orange Line of the Chennai Metro. The station is among the underground stations along corridor I of the Chennai Metro, Lighthouse–Poonamallee Bypass stretch. The station serves the neighbourhoods of Mylapore.