The newly constructed bus stand in Solar, where the approach road is pending in Erode in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: M. GOVARTHAN

Work on the satellite bus stand at Solar on Karur Road, which has been delayed by over nine months, is finally progressing, with the Erode Corporation hopeful of completing works by late October.

The pending tasks include painting, electrical installations, and laying the approach road, at a total cost of ₹11.4 crore, for which the civic body had recently floated a tender.

Part of the Comprehensive Mobility Plan for the Erode Local Planning Area, the ₹63.50 crore terminal is being constructed on 19.9 acres of Corporation land. The foundation was laid on August 18, 2022, with a scheduled completion timeline of two years. By September 2024, 92% of the work were completed, but a ₹15 crore funding delay from the State government is said to have stalled progress.

Although most of the work resumed following phased fund releases, key components like electrification and the approach road are pending. The civic body is also awaiting ₹4 crore under the Infrastructure and Amenities Fund, expected to be released within a month.

The Corporation Commissioner (in-charge) and Deputy Commissioner K. Dhanalakshmi told The Hindu that GST and increase in other costs made it unfeasible to complete the remaining work within the original budget, necessitating the new tender. Once the contract is awarded, she confirmed, all works are expected to be completed by October.

Additional features such as name boards, bus bay markings, etc are slated for completion over the next five months. Once operational, the terminal will serve buses heading to southern districts, easing congestion at the Central Bus Terminal in the city.

Earlier, the civic body’s efforts to auction 134 shops on the premises faced setbacks, with only 14 shops auctioned so far — a sign of waning trader interest due to project delays.