After several years of planning, the construction of a multi-level car parking facility has finally begun at Chennai airport and is likely to be completed in about one-and-a-half years.
Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials said the structure, built at a cost of ₹250 crore, will also house a host of other facilities, such as a mall, multiplex, hotel and food and beverage outlets. The project will take up about 4.25 acres of the airport. “The construction recently started and will go on for 18 months; we are building this on either side of the Chennai Metro Rail station inside the airport. Once it comes up, it will take care of the increasing parking needs of the airport. Also, there are transit passengers who seek hotel accommodation near the airport if they have to stay overnight and this facility to come up here will be beneficial for them,” an official said.
AAI gave the contract to Olympia Group for this project and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) will construct it.
The parking facility will come up at a height of 27 m on either side of the station; there will be six levels on one side and seven on the other.
The capacity of the parking space will expand to accommodate 2,237 cars from about 1,200 now. This facility will also meet the growing demand until 2030.
Link to travelator
Another advantage of the facility is that it will be connected to the travelator linking the international and domestic terminals.
The plan to build a commercial complex with both a mall and a multiplex was made as it would benefit residents in the neighbouring areas.