KOLKATA: Curzon Park will transform into one of the largest sub-terranian commuter complex in the country, complete with three Metro lines, a bus terminus and a parking lot with subway connections that reach out like tentacles to as far as Eden Gardens and Mayo Road. An elevated walkway will connect Central Avenue to the complex.

If the mammoth project is executed as planned, it will transform the central business district by moving lakhs of pedestrians off the road, end parking woes for heritage New Market and Chandni, and make commute to different parts of the city a breeze.But the complex will take at least four years to complete after all the approvals, including the defence ministry nod for work at Curzon Park, come through.

Going by the masterplan prepared by engineering consultant firm Rites, the complex will connect three Metro platforms: that of the existing North-South Metro from New Garia to Dum Dum; the underconstruction East-West Metro corridor from Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector V and the Joka-Esplanade Metro.Together, 70,000 commuters will be able to use the interchange an hour to board or alight from trains at Esplanade.While two North-South and Joka-Easplande tunnels will be parallel, the East-West tunnel will be below their level.

The interchange itself will be two-tier, with lights filtering in through skylights supposed to illuminate the basements. The first basement is planned to house the bus terminus and concourse. While the long-distance bus terminus will be moved to Santragachhi, the intra-city terminus, with a capacity for 80-85 buses, will shift to the first basement. There will be two entry point for buses--one at Mayo Road and the other at Chowringhee. The two exits will be at Chowringhee and Rani Rashmani Road. The second basement will house the parking lot that can accommodate 450-500 cars, enough to fulfil the requirement at New Market, Chandni and nearby offices. Once the surface-level parking lots disappear, the ro ads will also be unclogged, allowing another lane for traffic. The cars in the parking lots will have two entry and two exit points.

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