Alandur Metro FOB with lift and escalator to be opened this month

A senior official of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) said that some minor works are pending and it will be completed in the next few days. “Some minor works of escalator and lift are being attended to. We hope to open the facility for public use by mid-February,” the official said.

The FOB was built at a cost of Rs 6 crore with escalators and lift on either side of GST Road. Alandur Metro Station is a transit hub connecting two corridors from Washermenpet-Airport and Central-St Thomas Mount. It is a boon for the commuters in the area, especially for the employees in Guindy Industrial Estate. It was difficult for many to access the MTC bus stop on the opposite side. The foot overbridge has been in demand at Alandur Metro station by the commuters since it started in 2015.

“One has to either cross by jumping over the divider outside the Alandur station or walk a long distance to reach the pedestrian subway. If there was a traffic signal there, it could have eased the problem of commuters. Foot over-bridge can be very beneficial,” said K Ramya, an employee in Porur.

Though there is a subway located on the stretch, it is least used because of its location and poor maintenance. The work on the FOB was started in May 2018 after the previous attempts to award a contract for the project failed. “Facilities like escalator and lift would help the public reach the station without much difficulty. It will particularly help the aged and differently-abled,” a CMRL official said.