The state government proposed, in the budget presented on Thursday, to build a 7km-long, four-lane flyover that will connect the Metropolitan crossing on EM Bypass with Mahisbathan in New Town.
“In order to further improve the city’s connectivity with New Town and the airport, we propose to construct a 7km-long flyover from the Metropolitan crossing on Eastern Metropolitan Bypass to Mahisbathan, adjacent to CG Block of New Town,” the minister of state (independent charge) for finance, Chandrima Bhattacharya, said while tabling the budget in the Assembly.
“The estimated cost of the project is Rs 728 crore and will be completed in the next three years. I propose to allocate Rs 150 crore in the first year,” she said.
The announcement — this was the only road infrastructure project in the city mentioned in the budget — was greeted with cheers from Bhattacharya’s party colleagues in the Assembly.
There were a host of other allocations for infrastructure projects but those were meant for districts.
Senior officials in the urban development department said the proposal for the Mahisbathan-Metropolitan flyover had been awaiting the state cabinet’s clearance for years. The plan was first mooted around 10 years ago, an official said.
“In September 2023, details of the final design of the flyover and its route alignment were handed to the public works department,” said an official in the urban development department.
“The PWD will now go through the final design, float a tender and decide on funding for the project. Thankfully, the first year’s allocation of Rs 150 crore is already done.”
The proposed flyover had hit a hurdle after the Union environment ministry objected to its initial alignment as it passed over the East Kolkata Wetlands.
In December 2021, the urban development department drew up a fresh project report abiding by the conditions laid down by the National Wetlands Committee.
According to the new alignment, the flyover would pass over Nalban and Nicco Park, skirting the East Kolkata Wetlands.
“The new report says about 5km of the proposed flyover — the section that was supposed to come up over the wetlands — will stand on 36 piers. According to the earlier plan, the section was to come up on 86 piers. The change in the number of piers resulted in the change in the alignment,” the official said.
The decision to go ahead with the project gathered momentum only recently after a number of structural experts and members of a committee of bridge engineers recommended pulling down of the Chingrighata flyover.
While the state government decided against razing the structure and opted for improved maintenance, some officials realised that the proposed Mahishbathan-Bypass flyover was a necessity.
“In another five years, it will be extremely difficult to manage the volume of traffic entering and leaving the city around the Chingrighata crossing on the Bypass unless there is a flyover connecting the artery and New Town,” said a senior police officer.
“The vehicle count on EM Bypass has gone up significantly over the past few years. Between 6.30pm and 8pm, vehicles headed for the Bypass from New Town struggle to move because the road gets narrower near the Chingrighata crossing.”